Messages Have Reportedly Been Stitched Into Zara Garments From Unpaid Workers

Fashion retailer Zara is dealing with reports that garment workers have stitched messages into their clothing, hoping it will reveal their plight. Shoppers in Istanbul who have allegedly seen the tags, claim the Turkish workers aren't being paid for their time.

According to Associated Press, one of the tags says: "I made this item you are going to buy, but I didn't get paid for it."

The tags claim the workers are employed by third-party manufacturer Bravo, which has since closed down and left staff without three months of pay or severance allowance. Bravo factories also produce clothing for Next and Mango.

A spokesperson for Inditex, the company that owns Zara, told Refinery29: ""Inditex has met all of its contractual obligations to Bravo Textil [sic] and is currently working on a proposal with the local IndustriALL affiliate, Mango, and Next to establish a hardship fund for the workers affected by the fraudulent disappearance of the Bravo factory's owner.

"This hardship fund would cover unpaid wages, notice indemnity, unused vacation, and severance payments of workers that were employed at the time of the sudden shutdown of their factory in July 2016. We are committed to finding a swift solution for all of those impacted."

The reports come just a few weeks after Inditex, the company that owns Zara, issued a media release explaining how it was doing its best to 'spread best labour practices in the garment industry'.

It reads: "The Chairman and CEO of Inditex, Pablo Isla, today met with the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder, with the goal of reinforcing the projects on which the two entities are collaborating with the aim of enhancing labour conditions at all levels of the garment sector value chain.

Reports of the tags being sewn into the clothes is just another controversy involving the retailer since it was founded in Spain in 1974.

http://www.ladbible.com/news/news-unpaid-workers-reportedly-stitch-messages-into-zara-garments-20171104

I think the book needs to be thrown at some of these fashion labels

It is one thing when Kmart is paying fuck all in labor and then sells the shirt for a few bucks(like caged eggs, you know the price in misery when you buy something so cheap). but when Premium Labels that have more than enough mark up to pay a decent wage do it, it really pisses me off, Nothing but Pure Unadulterated greed, No Market forces making them do it, just the screwing an extra buck out of the downtrodden cause they can

veya_victaous wrote:I think the book needs to be thrown at some of these fashion labels

It is one thing when Kmart is paying fuck all in labor and then sells the shirt for a few bucks(like caged eggs, you know the price in misery when you buy something so cheap). but when Premium Labels that have more than enough mark up to pay a decent wage do it, it  really pisses me off, Nothing but Pure Unadulterated greed, No Market forces making them do it, just the screwing an extra buck out of the downtrodden cause they can

Agreed.
I allready boycott places like Primark where I know they use sweat shops to produce their
£3 T shirts, but places like Zara, that charge decent prices should ensure the workers who produce the clothes are working in fair conditions for a fair wage.
Its right these shops are named and shamed.

It's disgusting, absolutely disgusting to use people as slaves like this. Good on those workers getting their message out there. Smart move.

The face of Primark...

Just came here to post that!

eddie wrote:It's disgusting, absolutely disgusting to use people as slaves like this. Good on those workers getting their message out there. Smart move.

Not really going to work until people stop buying products from most clothing stores.   Hands up if you purchase any goods from

Primark
Zara
HM
Gap
Forever 21
Urban Outfitters
Adidas
Victoria's Secret
Nike
Lidl
Asda
Tesco
M & S
Nestle
Apple
Disney


There's more.

eddie wrote:Just came here to post that!

Primark clothing is trash anyway.   But it's cheap so people will never stop buying it.

But, how much of the responsibility lies with the factories these workers are employed in and how about the fact that these people, no matter how low paid, are at least in work.   It could be argued that they might be living on the streets if not for the meagre work they currently do.  

I do think the major clothing retailers need to inspect the premises they choose for their making of their clothes.   The immense profits they must make should enable some kind of ongoing inspections.

HoratioTarr wrote:The face of Primark...

That's the sort of image that once seen will never be forgotten.
I know the factory where that happened didn't only produce for Primark, but Primark also had sweat shops where illegals worked for a pittance, less than a mile away from its Piccadilly store in Manchester.

Their workers didn't have to be exploited in a third world country, it was also happening right here in Manchester England.