by Bethany Rielly
LABOUR MP Claudia Webbe has called on ministers to end “the scourge of exploitation” in Britain’s garment industry after official figures reveal high Covid-19 fatality rates among women in the sector.
Women sewing machinists are almost four times more likely to die from Covid-19 than the average woman worker, according to Office for National Statistics figures.
The Leicester East MP said the figures were a “stark reminder of working conditions in Britain’s garment industry both during and before the pandemic,” a problem particularly prevalent in her city.
Last year, it was revealed that workers in garment factories in Leicester, largely supplying clothes to fast-fashion brand Boohoo, were forced to continue going in during the pandemic.
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Campaign group says figures underline need for tougher regulation of sector
Sewing machinists as a subgroup had the highest Covid fatality rate among women of any group, LBL said. Photograph: Boy Triharjanto/EPA
Sewing machinists as a subgroup had the highest Covid fatality rate among women of any group, LBL said. Photograph: Boy Triharjanto/EPA
Wed 17 Feb 2021 19.01 EST
Sewing machinists and others with jobs in garment factories have among the highest rate of coronavirus deaths among working women in the UK, according to an analysis by the Office for National Statistics.
Female UK garment workers at high risk from Covid drapersonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from drapersonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Fashion brands must end exploitation in supply chains and offer fair salaries and working conditions, say industry experts.
Women wearing face masks work at Liz Fashion Industry Limited, a garment manufacturer, in Gazipur on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh on Jan. 3, 2021 | Salim/Xinhua News Agency/PA Image
18 January 2021 (openDemocracy) In 2019 the fashion industry generated $2.5trn in global revenues, making it one of the largest industries in the world. But when COVID-19 struck in 2020, it virtually collapsed.
Exports of raw materials from China began to slow in January last year, and subsequent lockdowns around the world meant shoppers stayed at home, retailers shuttered stores, and billions of dollars of orders were cancelled. Thousands of factories faced ruin, and many closed either temporarily or permanently.
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In 2019 the fashion industry generated $2.5trn in global revenues, making it one of the largest industries in the world. But when COVID-19 struck in 2020, it virtually collapsed.
Exports of raw materials from China began to slow in January last year, and subsequent lockdowns around the world meant shoppers stayed at home, retailers shuttered stores, and billions of dollars of orders were cancelled. Thousands of factories faced ruin, and many closed either temporarily or permanently.
In countries such as India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, tens of thousands of workers lost their jobs and thousands more were taken ill as COVID-19 spread through cramped production lines. Where people dared to speak up about unsafe or unfair conditions, they were often met with redundancy or brutality.