A new study is being carried out to see what needs to be done to improve working conditions in some of Leicester’s textile factories.
Researchers from De Montfort University, Leicester, and the Rights Lab at University of Nottingham, hope their findings will help to make changes in the industry.
The study has been commissioned by the new Leicester Garment and Textiles Workers Trust, which has been given £1 million by Manchester-based fast fashion retailer Boohoo to help improve the industry which has been tarnished by regular allegations of exploitation.
Recent studies and investigations have unearthed examples of modern day slavery in a minority of Leicester factories, with workers underpaid and employed off the books.
Factory workers were recently invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire asking about their experiences working in the garment sector – good and bad – and their ideas about making things better.
Findings from the survey will be used to make recommendations to the Leicester Garment and Textile Workers Trust.
The study will also examine other actions businesses, government agencies, NGOs and communities can take to improve the lives of garment workers.
Dr Alison Gardner, Rights Lab Associate Director (Communities and Society Programme) and Nottingham Research Fellow in Slavery-Free Communities, is leading the project.
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She said: “This study will provide a holistic overview of the current situation in Leicester with an emphasis on workers’ perspectives.
“We are pooling all of the insights and experiences from across the community to identify realistic, evidence-based solutions that local partners can work on together.”
Co-researcher Professor Dave Walsh, Professor in Criminal Investigation at DMU, said: “It is vital that the community are involved in helping provide solutions to the problem of labour exploitation in the garment industry in Leicester so that the rights of workers are respected where, for example, they receive a fair wage for the work they do.”
Khudeja Amer-Sharif is chief executive of the Shama Women’s Centre in Leicester, which has been helping with the survey.
She said: “Shama has a 35-year history of empowering thousands of women in Leicester, many of whom have gained machinist skills in our purpose-built industrial unit; helping them gain work in the garment industry.
“More importantly we are committed to ensuring that women seeking work in the garment industry are armed with the knowledge of their employment rights and the confidence to seek help when needed.
“I believe this research will be key in identifying the barriers that many of these women face and inform workable solutions to address some of the ethical issues facing the garment industry."
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Paul McAnulty, 海角视频 and Europe Programme Director at the charity Hope for Justice, which has a Community Engagement Hub in the East Midlands, said: “We have been helping people to empower themselves and others to freedom, and we are proud to be working alongside the partners on this project.
“Together, we want to ensure that the true nature of exploitation in Leicester’s textile industry is understood.”