Oxfam has released its first in-depth investigation into the lives of factory workers, 'Made In Poverty.'
Oxfam Australia CEO Dr Helen Szoke claimed the research involved interviews with hundreds of workers in factories in Bangladesh and Vietnam that supply clothes to Australian retailers.
She said some of the findings of the research in Bangladesh were that 100% of workers interviewed were not paid a living wage.
Some nine out of ten could not afford enough food for themselves and their families until their next monthly pay, while seven out of 10 could not pay for medical treatment when they were sick or injured.
In Vietnam, 99% were not paid a living wage and seven out of 10 women interviewed felt their pay was not enough to meet their needs.
“The investigation has uncovered the widespread payment of poverty wages and the impact this is having on the lives of the workers, mainly women, making the clothes Australians love to wear,” Dr Szoke said.
“Women who are unable to get treatment when they fall sick, workers who cannot afford to send their children to school, families that cannot make their pay stretch to put enough food on the table, people sleeping on floors in overcrowded houses, spiralling debts, mothers separated from their children – these are just some of the common realities of the failure of big brands to ensure the payment of living wages.”
A living wage means enough money is earned in a standard week to cover basic essentials including food, housing, healthcare, clothing, transport, education and some money for unexpected events.
The new research builds on a previous Oxfam report, 'What She Makes', which found that paying living wages would add just one per cent on average to the retail price of a piece of clothing – a cost than can be absorbed by brands.
“The Australian fashion industry was worth a staggering $23 billion last year – brands are responsible for making credible commitments to ensure the payment of living wages to the workers making their clothes, with clear timelines for achieving this,” Dr Szoke said.