Despite the imminent danger of working in a garment factory, workers, mostly women, in Bangladesh are still entering the industry in droves. According to The Economist, Bangladesh’s clothing industry is booming; the value of exports continues to grow, and Bangladesh has twice the amount of factories that Indonesia and Vietnam have. It will remain as Asia’s primary base for clothing production because of dirt-cheap labour costs and clothes sewn there has the advantage of duty-free access to Europe.
The blame of operating of these garment factories at such hazardous conditions should not be placed solely on fashion companies. Consumers should bear a burden of the blame because we are the ones that create demand for cheap clothes. In addition, a trend among consumers that has been observed in recent decades, “fast fashion”, has tremendous ripple effects throughout the industry. Because we are always buying new clothes, and trying to “stay in the loop” in the fashion world, we create an enormous demand for cheap garments. To meet that demand, clothing companies have to produce clothes at the lowest cost, and in the shortest period of time to meet the fashion trend. In that way, manufacturers inevitably have to cut corners in the form of dirt-cheap wages, and run factories that do not meet safety standards.
Fast fashion and our demand for cheap clothing is a trigger for these tragedies
Sources:
“Bursting at the Seams.” Editorial. The Economist 26 Oct. 2013: n. pag. The Economist. The Economist, 26 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://www.economist.com/news/business/21588393-workers-continue-die- unsafe-factories-industry-keeps-booming-bursting-seams>.