Made in Bangladesh

Two fires in three days, 112 people killed and over 200 wounded (according to Campaign for Clean Clothes) because of lack of emergency exits, or locked gates. 

photo from Süddeutsche Zeitung

The victims are mostly women. Women working as seamstresses in textile factories. They were sewing for western clothing companies. Large names – US companies, German companies, Dutch companies – all well-known for their ‘bargain prices’. Bargain prices which still are mostly the company’s gains. Not more than one percent of what we pay for bargain T-Shirts of let’s say 4,99 (doesn’t matter whether we are paying dollars or euros or pounds) goes to the workers.

It is because of the companies’ lack of concern that factories in Bangladesh or Pakistan do not have sufficient fire emergency protection, or insufficient working conditions with too many people working in one room, too few emergency exits. But it is because of our, the consumers’ decision, to keep buying with these companies that these conditions prevail. We want to “save” money when buying clothes. What we are really doing is risking the lives and health of other people, so we can save a few pennies. 

Is that worth it? Is that the kind of clothes we want to be wearing?