Don’t be slaves to branding – ‘love fashion, hate sweatshops’

John Hilary, Bishop Kieran Conry

The annual Justice and Peace Assembly of the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton took place on Saturday 21st January in Crawley. Entitled 'Slaves to Branding' it focused on the exploitation of overseas workers in the clothing industry. Bishop Kieran Conry welcomed everyone to the day and reminded them that Justice and Peace is an integral, not optional, part of the Christian mission. He told the eighty plus participants that they were called to ‘go and announce the Gospel of the Lord’.

The aim of the Assembly was to ensure attendees became more familiar with how individual voices calling for justice in the workplace can combine to make a huge impact and to consider practical ways for these voices calling for an end to sweatshop labour to be heard.

The keynote speakers were John Hilary and Anna McMullen. John is Executive Director of War on Want. He has worked in the field of global justice for the past 20 years, and is the author of numerous publications on globalisation, trade and development issues. Anna is Campaigns Co-ordinator, Labour Behind the Label, an organisation supporting garment workers worldwide

In his keynote address to the assembly, John Hilary, Executive Director of War on Want said that “the promise of globalisation was that it would lead to emancipation from poverty for the poor, but the reality is that it has lead to exploitation of the poor.” Research they had done with Labour Behind the Label on the clothes supplied to Tesco, Asda and Primark had shown that “there was a systematic tale of exploitation.” This involves the workers, mainly women, suffering long hours, very poor working conditions, beatings and intimidation, low wages and unpaid overtime.

They had used this research to get into conversation with Tesco and others to seek better and more transparent buying policies. He called not for a boycott of such companies, but rather campaigns at international, local and governmental level to change and improve their practice and polices. The call is to ‘Love Fashion, Hate Sweatshops’ and that we as individual consumers can and do make a difference in how companies act.

David Thomson, Diocesan Justice and Peace Adviser said “It is a really great day. We were all inspired after hearing John and Anna speak to take action to make a difference for those producing clothes and garments for us thousand of miles away. We want them to improve their working conditions and wages, and for companies to behave fairly so consumers can be assured of that their bargain doesn’t come at anyone’s expense. The whole day was one that Catholic parishioners and others came and learn from, informed to take it back to their parishes in Surrey and Sussex.”

For more information see: www.labourbehindthelabel.org

Source: Diocese of Arundel & Brighton