Why can’t we rely on local governments to enforce and regulate work conditions?

Governments are responsible for protecting workers and their rights and regulating companies and foreign investments.

However, brands deliberately produce clothes in countries where labour laws are weak or difficult to enforce. Brands’ major influence on local economies often keeps authoritarian governments in this position. The competitive nature of the garment industry and brands’ predatory labour practices effectively pit countries against each other in a race to the bottom. Constant threats of moving production to another country with lower wages or weaker labour regulations pressure governments to keep wages low, repress protests and hinder labour laws.  

Brands have the money, power and responsibility to change their practices and transform the global garment industry into one that respects the rights of the workers and the environment. This is why they are our primary target.