Fiona Lambert is a former product director at Dunelm. She helped launch George at Asda and George Home and for seven years was womenswear product director at Next. She is also a Leicester Mercury Women in Business Awards winner. Here she gives her thoughts on the allegations of sweatshop conditions in some Leicester textile factories.
"As someone who has lived and had all their working life in Leicester as part of the textile and fashion industry, I am deeply saddened by the reports that garment manufacturing has had a part to play in the spread of Covid 19 and the current extended lockdown.
I know we have some great factories here that do the right thing, but clearly there are many who don’t.
I’m not sure the customer who buys low-priced, 海角视频 manufactured, fast fashion garments is aware of the unethical practices that exist, but the retailers who use these factories are.
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It’s time for leadership to step up and do the right thing to improve conditions and break the vicious circle that allows this type of manufacturing to exist.
I’m prepared to help should the opportunity arise as I’m proud of Leicester’s garment heritage.
The issue is the rapid growth of some etailers, whose business model is built on small quantities, fast turnaround, quick repeats and low prices, which requires a close-to-home supply chain.
Sadly, the factories that have tried to do the right thing have seen their orders dry up as they are too expensive.
Small runs are not cost-effective to manufacture.
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There should be a 20 per cent to 30 per cent on cost for the 200 to 300 units that would be ordered – but the selling prices do not sustain this.
With cloth prices a fixed cost, the reduction comes from the labour costs.
If the retailer does not care how they get their cost price, does not ask the right questions or monitor the production that allows illegal practices to go on.
Any buyer with the right education should know the breakdown of the standard minutes required to make a garment at the correct legal pay rate plus the cost price of fabric and pay this.
Business leadership should support the buyer in paying the right prices.
There are anywhere between 500 and 1,000 factories in Leicester, many not visible because they will be subcontractors.
I’m sure for workers in some of the factories, it’s a choice of low pay or no pay, so it continues.
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So what will change the situation, because this is not new news?
First, the spotlight that Covid-19 has cast needs not to go away.
The etailers need to demonstrate leadership that does not support this type of manufacturing.
It may require higher selling prices, which may create less volume, but that has been done by some and should be done by all.
This is the only way to break the vicious circle as it’s supply and demand.
Second, the consumer who is demanding fast, low-priced fashion needs a better understanding of the implication of their buying habits.
Although I would like to think the enforced lockdown has changed people’s demand for fast fashion, the reaction to bars reopening at the weekend makes me doubt it.
If factory conditions and wages improve and prices go up in Leicester, will production simply be moved elsewhere and leave a void in the industry?
A hard-hitting documentary along the lines of Blue Planet is needed.
The customers need to walk in the shoes of the workers and spend some time in factories, seeing the conditions and living on the pay the workers receive.
Third, support needs to be given to local officials to check and enforce the correct factory conditions – this is under-resourced.
I believe now is the time for change.
We should rightly call out and champion the retailers and factories that are doing the right thing and the pressure needs to continue to be put on those that aren’t.
I’d love to see Leicester return to its heritage as a proud garment manufacturing hub."