I was dismayed and saddened to hear of the disaster in Bangladesh yesterday. At last count at least 238 people had been killed and many more injured, in the building collapse that housed garment factories. Calling them garment factories seems almost a compliment, sweat shops is a better name. This tragedy highlights the dangers that workers face. Bangladesh has about 4,000 garment factories and exports clothes to many Western retailers. It’s garment industry has grown rapidly due mostly to the cheap rate at which retailers can purchse the product. This is directly due to the ridiculously low labor costs. The minimum wage in Bangeldesh is about $38 a month…that’s right a month! That’s so people like me can get go shopping and find cothing at such crazy low prices so that I can wear them for a few times and then easily dispose of them to buy something else at a ridiculously low price.
Twelve or so years ago, when I was in a previous pastoral charge, we offered an educational event about the clothing industry. We did our research and then we had some of our teens wear clothes from name-brand lines and we explained where those clothes were produced, the conditions under which they would have been made, how much the workers were paid and how much the industry profited from that item. It was shocking. Things have not improved. This morning retailers were publishing disclaimers but we all know that their motivation is bottom line and making money. Their concern is to keep the costs low and they do that at the expense of people who are desperate for income – as paltry as it is. Not to mention the environmental degradation caused by the shipping of those clothes half way around the globe.
Recently I was shopping in a local store and was delighted to find a shirt with the label, “Made in Canada” – imagine that! I happily bought it. While I paid a little more, I know in the end we are all winners because of it. I feel guilt and culpability around the death of those garment workers in Bangladesh. They are dead because of my life-style. Do you feel any global connection about what you wear? Do you think it’s okay to buy cheap clothing no matter where it came from?
