Fashion at any Cost? – Global Clothing Production, Working Conditions, Production Chains, Profits, Countervailing Forces

December 2015, Mag. Nepomuk Hurch, 97 Pages

Whether it’s cheap t-shirts or expensive branded jeans and shoes – many of them are produced under inhumane work conditions. More than 1,100 seamsters and seamstresses died from the collapse of the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bandgladesh, April 2013. However, this tragic event only briefly drew attention to the issue. Every day, countless people become sick from the unprotected handling of chemicals in textile factories worldwide. And the wages are not enough to secure an existence. The study, “Fashion at any Cost? – Global Clothing Production, Working Conditions, Production Chains, Profits, Countervailing Forces” takes a look behind the beautiful, clean world of the displays and shops. The intent is to make it possible for the consumers to see what lands on the counters. This study examines the economic structures and developments of the global textile and clothing sector. Strategies are shown on how to reach humane work conditions in this industry and how consumers, businesses and politicians can help.

zur Studie (pdf)