This year marks the 8 year anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse. On the 24th April 2013 a clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed killing 1,138 people and injuring many more. The disaster highlighted the poor working conditions of people in these garment factories. It underlined the unfairness and inequality for people working in cramped and dangerous conditions to supply a multi-million dollar industry.
This was one of many examples of people being exploited down the supply chain of industry. People who don't have the voice to make the change. And all too often the consumer would have no idea that this is what they were supporting when purchasing the products created.
Surely it must be that in all industries across the world, everybody has the right to work in safe and fair environments. Companies should be transparent about their supply chain and ensure that everybody involved is treated equally.
So what can we do to support this?
- Shop ethically - ask 'who made it' and 'where did it come from'?
- Shop locally where possible
- Look at labels. Look for Fairtrade goods and services
- Join a movement that supports fair working conditions
- Shop less - Re-use more
And, closer to home if you suspect somebody is being exploited in a shop or service near to you, you can report it to an organisation that support victims. In the UK you can report it to Unseen UK.
