London Fashion Week Opens Among Controversy

20 February 2009

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London Fashion Week opens today amongst controversy, as they face accusations by the charity War on Want that garment workers are paid poverty wages producing clothing for some of Britain’s largest retailers.

The charity has warned that with the week starting on the first UN Day of Social Justice, the event is haunted by exploitation accusations.

War on Want has been very vocal about campaigning against the systemic abuse of overseas garment workers, where they work long hours to turn out fashion for British stores, for less than minimum wage according to the charity. 

In December, their research showed that amid rising food and fuel prices, Bangladeshi employees making fashion for Primark, Tesco and Asda earned around seven pence an hour, and are in deeper poverty now than two years earlier.

A BBC investigation conducted last year also found migrant workers in Manchester toiling 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for £3 an hour, well below the adult minimum wage of £5.73.

War on Want also collaborated with the UK newspaper the Guardian to reportedly reveal Indian workers producing clothing for Gap’s upmarket chain, Banana Republic received well under a living wage for 70 hours a week

Simon McRae, the charity’s senior campaigns officer, said: "London Fashion Week promotes itself as a great ambassador for British industry. But the trend which is always in vogue is exploitation of workers. If ministers want the industry to be a positive advertisement for the UK, they must introduce regulation to halt this abuse."

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