Why are brands responsible for garment workers when they don't directly hire them?

Brands deliberately outsource their manufacturing to cut costs and deny responsibility to their workers and the planet. Cheap labour costs allow brands to maximise profits, fattening the pockets of shareholders and millionaire CEOs. 

But make no mistake — brands are huge players that control the market, often through abusive practices. They’re the ones pressuring factory bosses to reduce costs (and wages): pitting factories and even production countries against each other. They’re responsible for a deep-rooted power imbalance, forcing factories to accept the deal or risk losing the order. A study by CCC’s partner, BHRC, found that 90% of high-street brands were guilty of unfair purchasing practices. 

As the biggest profit-maker and power-holder, brands are responsible for ensuring that the workers in their supply chain are treated right.

More and more laws, on the national and regional level, hold brands responsible for the harm they cause, even indirectly. This includes the EU’s new due diligence directive, which requires big corporations to prevent and address human rights abuses and environmental harm in their supply chains. But what’s right isn’t always enshrined in law. We consistently campaign to strengthen these types of legislation; it’s a work in progress. 

At the Clean Clothes Campaign, we believe brands can and should do better. Brands often justify violations by saying that supply chains are far too complex for them to monitor or that it would be too expensive. Yet, these supply chains were created by the brands themselves, and their profit margins suggest ample resources to protect vulnerable workers.