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UK factories have been called a “ticking time-bomb” and are being urged to improve working conditions |
Bosses at fashion retailers Asos and New Look have called on British factories to improve worker safety so they can consider sourcing more clothing in the country rather than offshore.
Speaking to just-style yesterday (23 August) Nick Beighton, CEO at online fashion retailer ASOS, said the company would want to triple the amount of product it sources in the UK.
His comments came following a report in The Sunday Telegraph in which Beighton and New Look chief Anders Kristiansen called for measures to be introduced to protect UK clothing factory workers.
Both said they wanted more manufacturing to take place in Britain but were holding back because of unsafe and often illegal conditions.
Kristiansen said New Look could double its GBP35m (US$44.9m) worth of orders from factories in the city of Leicester, which is at the centre of much of the UK’s textile and garment reshoring efforts, but was reluctant to do so because “what is going on is just so plainly wrong.”
“It is a ticking time bomb,” he says. “Many of these factories have unsafe conditions with fire escapes blocked up, workers exploited and paid far below minimum wage. What happens if there is another massive fire, what will it take for people to wake up?”
In a statement to just-style, Beighton adds: “Our goal is to bring customers the best fashion as quickly as possible, and there’s nothing faster than manufacturing in the UK.
“We would like to triple the amount of product we source from the UK over the next five years and, based on our experience, there are great factories in Leicester with the capacity to help us make that happen. We have been, and will continue to, work closely with all of the relevant stakeholders to support the growth of UK manufacturing.”
The British Government is currently carrying out a review ahead of a crackdown on exploitation in the supply chains of large firms, with fashion retail one of the main industries being targeted.
UK Government in fashion supply chain crackdown
As well as speed-to-market, UK retailers are increasingly looking at made-at-home opportunities to combat the issues of delayed shipments, rising labour costs, quality claims and compliance issues in overseas factories.
However, this is not the first time UK factories have been criticised for hindering local-sourcing for retailers.
Two years ago a study commissioned by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) found “widespread and severe violations of work and employment laws,” at garment factories in Leicester. As part of its response, the ETI launched a programme to tackle issues through training and support for suppliers and manufacturers, with a focus on promoting good purchasing practices amongst brands and retailers.
UK garment reshoring hub hit by sweatshop claims
Earlier this year, the ETI also advised retailers sourcing garments from Leicester to impose significant sanctions against those factories that breach contracts.
A Channel Four Dispatches TV programme, which aired on 23 January, found suppliers in the city producing for high street brands including River Island and New Look paying workers between GBP3 (US$3.74) and GBP3.50 (US$4.36) per hour. The UK’s national living wage, the legal minimum, currently stands at GBP7.50 per hour for workers aged 25 and over.
Hard-hitting response urged on UK sweatshops
Speaking at an industry event last month, Liza Canneford, a consultant and former product director for womenswear brand Jaeger, said the company had set a 15% target of sourcing from the UK.
“We couldn’t do it because of the quality of the product, of the factories, hygiene standards and CSR compliance – these were some of the big issues we were finding.
Jenny Holloway, CEO of social enterprise Fashion Enter, added there is a skills gap in clothing manufacturing in the country also which doesn’t help – a challenge Fashion Enter is trying to resolve through its stitching academies.
