In 2020, whilst the United Kingdom battled an international pandemic, another international crisis made headlines—modern slavery. Modern slavery is neither a concept of the past, nor is it a problem only in the Global South. It is shockingly prevalent on British soil and has gained public attention as concerns mount over the treatment of garment workers in Leicester, the U.K.’s second largest textile and fashion manufacturing city. The predominant media focus has been on the city’s connection to fast fashion brand Boohoo, which sources up to 70% of its production from Leicester. In connection with the actions of its Leicester factories, Boohoo has been investigated for accusations of modern slavery.
Over the years, the fast fashion industry has made many headlines for its exploitation of workers for commercial gain. Those working to produce Boohoo’s apparel in Leicester, unfortunately, are no stranger to modern slavery. Factory workers regularly experience poor working conditions and while 20% of workers at managerial level are paid close to national minimum wage, the rest of the workers are paid £3/hour. The exploitation of workers has only worsened in the pandemic. Boohoo’s production factories are putting their workers at risk of COVID-19 by making COVID-positive employees work while sick. Commitments to uphold labour rights and pay a living wage are clearly not being prioritised. Indeed, Leicester’s garment factories have continued to stick to the status quo by paying wages in cash and grossly under-recording working hours.
The fast fashion industry is dependent on the demand of short term trend cycles and low prices. The industry has created a highly competitive market in which pressure is placed upon suppliers to produce cheaper clothes. Evolving an industry to produce and deliver fashion quickly and flexibly opens up the potential, as seen in Leicester, for garment workers to face illegally low wages, forced overtime and irregular working hours. Despite initiatives like the “Transparency Pledge”—which asks companies to publish details on supply chain assembling, embellishing and finishing their goods—fast fashion brands continue exploiting workers. Hult International Business School and the Ethical Trading Initiative found that 77% of companies believe there is a chance of modern slavery occurring in their supply chain.
The increased globalisation of capitalism has led to the rapid development of fast fashion and clearly presents complex challenges regarding protection of human rights in the industry. Brands, like Boohoo, use their power and influence to exploit the vulnerable and break the basic provisions of employment law. The government, however, has taken notice. U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock stated in July 2020 that he was “very worried about the employment practices in some factories”. Likewise, Home Secretary Priti Patel has stated the she “will not tolerate despicable exploitation and abuse on innocent people through modern slavery”.
A CAMPAIGN TO TARGET LABOUR ABUSE
In March 2021, the NGO Unseen collaborated with Leicester City Council to launch a new campaign, which will raise awareness and attempt to increase reporting of labour issues within the U.K. 's manufacturing industry. The campaign will hopefully encourage those being exploited in Leicester to come forward and report such abuses. The Director of Unseen has stated that "the campaign is showing workers there is support out there for them”.
In line with Unseen’s campaign, Members of Parliament across the country have debated British sweatshops. The UK government released a review of the 2014 Modern Slavery strategy, announced further investment towards the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Programme, and published the world’s first Government Modern Slavery Statement.
The initiative of Unseen’s campaign and review of the current modern slavery strategy will undoubtedly spark conversation and drive exposure over modern slavery in a westernised democracy. It may under deliver, however, given the facts on the ground. For one, many of the garment workers in Leicester do not speak English and such a language barrier makes it difficult for these workers to understand their rights. Additionally, many garment workers in these factories are undocumented. As a result, these workers are limited in who they can trust when seeking help and have few job alternatives.
Despite these promising campaigns to urge victims to come forward, the current model of fast fashion means it is nearly impossible to produce garments at a low cost whilst paying workers a fair wage. The inhumane treatment of factory workers in Leicester has been a well-known secret for decades and continues to be a prominent human right violation. The government must recognise that the situation is a result of the fast fashion business model. Without regulation of pricing and purchasing practices, campaigns alone will not drive modern slavery out of the UK.
The hurdles to eradicating modern slavery in the U.K. are clearly great. Surprisingly, however, the public focus on COVID-19’s impact on the already tenuous situation for workers in Leicester’s factories has had a positive effect. In response to the unwanted press, Boohoo cut ties with some of its suppliers in the city. The company’s CEO recently stated that Boohoo is "driving positive change in the industry and want[s] to play [its] part in rebuilding a vibrant manufacturing base in Leicester". We can only hope public attention and pressure cause other fast fashion brands to take similar steps to address modern slavery both in Leicester and throughout the fast fashion industry.
*This article was written as part of the Human Rights Pulse Writer’s Workshop programme.
Tamara Hume is an aspiring Human Rights Advocate and writer. She graduated from the Open University with a 2:1 in Criminology and Psychological studies. Currently, she is studying for an MA in Human Rights and Global Ethics at University of Leicester, with an interest in gender equality, racial discrimination focusing on racial profiling and mental health.