Remake’s #PayUp Campaign

The organisation Remake has unlocked over $22 billion for garment suppliers worldwide after calling out fashion brands for cancelling orders without making payments.

One huge economic impact of Covid-19 has been the damage done to the fashion retail industry, as shops closed their doors and customers vanished into their houses. Consequently, major companies like Nike, ASOS and Forever 21 cancelled their orders from garment factories in Bangladesh, India, Cambodia and many other countries.

The effect of this was devastating; leaving millions without pay in countries with little or no government support. In Bangladesh alone, an estimated $3 billion worth of clothing orders were cancelled or put on hold.

Since this was unveiled, the organisation Remake - who tackle the destructive environmental and social impacts of fast fashion – launched its #PayUp campaign; demanding brands to pay their suppliers for all cancelled or in-production orders. The #PayUp petition has achieved over 250,000 signatures since it was launched on the 30th of March 2020.

The result of the petition has been inspiring, and we at SFW have been greatly encouraged to see the part which social media activism can play in fighting fast fashion injustices. 19 brands have so far agreed to pay in full for completed and in-production orders, including ASOS, Gap, Ralph Lauren and Levi Strauss & Co.

According to Remake, the campaign has unlocked $22 billion for suppliers around the world.

Whilst this is amazing, and everyone involved deserves a gigantic round of applause, there is still a lot of work to be done. 17 brands listed on the petition have still not ‘payed up’, including Primark, JCPenney and Walmart/Asda/George.

The consequence of withholding this money will be devastating. Rubana Huq, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, issued a video appealing to buyers herself, declaring: “We will have 4.1 million workers literally going hungry if we don’t all step up to our commitment to the welfare of the workers.”

Unfortunately, exploitation of garment workers (in the UK as well as overseas) is not simply a result of the pandemic. There have been countless victim reports and studies outlining the mistreatment, poor conditions and low wages which garment workers must endure. These stories have been coming to light for years.

Nonetheless, hopefully Remake’s fantastic work will have succeeded in starting anew the conversation about garment workers’ work conditions and wages. The #PayUp campaign has certainly succeeded in getting the attention of brands and consumers, and in doing so has effected some monumental, billion-dollar changes.

Whilst the pandemic has stirred many negative changes, it has meant some positive ones too as many of us have stopped and learnt more about the world around us. Voices of the BLM movement have been raised, the hard work of our NHS heroes has been applauded, and pleas from those who make our clothes have been answered. Changes are in the air.

What changes would you like to see major brands make? What changes would you like to see implemented by our governments? What changes would you yourself like to make as we step into a brand new, more socially-conscious world?

Below is a link to the #PayUp petition

https://www.change.org/p/unless-primark-anthropologie-c-a-payup-millions-of-garment-makers-will-go-hungry?use_react=false

Would you like to read more?  Here are some additional links…

https://remake.world/stories/news/payup-brand-updates/

https://www.vogue.com/article/remake-payup-campaign-social-media-garment-workers-wages-gap

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookerobertsislam/2020/03/30/the-true-cost-of-brands-not-paying-for-orders-during-the-covid-19-crisis/#3bd903695ccc

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/garment-workers-are-facing-a-humanitarian-crisis-but-dont-blame-covid-19/