After watching the documentary on BBC about Bangladesh factories, it make you realise how bad workers are treated all the time and all over the world working so hard just to make clothes for us and for big brands. I did find it upsetting especially when children younger than me are working at least 12 hour days, which not only breaks many ETI Base Codes but also keeps them from attending school.
Even though blame can be put on the brands I find with this documentary that a lot of journalists go undercover to factories, some that are known by the brands but also sub supplier that the brand is unaware of. This hurts the brand name no matter what and effects what they say on their code of conduct. Also it is often false allegations are made against the brand that find their way to the papers, affecting their reputation. As an example, Marks and Spencer’s is a well-known British brand, that prides themselves in quality and the making of the product. However, the journalist went undercover to multiple factories and found that some were making clothes for Marks and Spencer’s. When this was said to the public there was a lot of backlash against the company as footage showed there being underage children there and well as all workers being under paid and persona safety measures were not in place.
However sometimes this isn't caused by the company. Company’s employ suppliers to make the clothing and transport it over to their stores, this in some cases means that the supplier could then send the clothing over to a sub supplier which could be employing a factory that is employing underage children, poor facilities or immigrants etc.
Companies like ASOS (normally) make sure they know what factory their clothing is being produced in, ASOS’s own label. ASOS do regular checks on factories to make sure there are no underage workers, if they do they offer them financial support to go back to school. In their Code Of Conduct in section 2 they sate:
“COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS…
Suppliers and factories that produce good for ASOS must fully understand and comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where they operate, including laws relating to employment, health and safety, and the environment.”
It follows on to say is section 3 that is and part time, temporary or agency contacts, must have formal contacts of employment that meet the legal legislation for both ASOS and the countries law.