It Starts With Respect: Labour Organising (Part 2)

We all love clothes, let's Remember Who Made Them. In the previous episode we started hearing how workers were organising to demand better: better wages, better treatment, better conditions and above all dignity. In this episode we delve into how and why the fashion industry is so full of extraction and exploitation, from workers perishing at Rana Plaza, to sexual exploitation in Lesotho, slavery in Leicester and millions on the brink of starvation during the COVID pandemic. Is it just a mistake that so much is going wrong? We speak to Business and Human Rights who explain what union busting is, why it’s increased during COVID and why we should all be concerned. In this episode we hear from workers and organisers from Julia and organiser from El Comité Fronterizo de Obreras (Border Committee of Workers), located on the US - Mexico Border about the levels of violence they face when they organise to demand better. We speak to Tania from Fondo Semillas who is hopeful that labour organising and feminist organising and the representation of the women who make our clothes will bring the change and equity we are looking for. 

Our guests:

Thulsi Narayanasamy from Business and Human Rights 

Julia Quinoz from El Comité Fronterizo de Obreras (Border Committee of Workers)

Tania Turner from Fondo Semillas, Mexico

Find us on Patreon: RememberWhoMadeThem

Find us on Instagram: @RememberWhoMadeThem/

Get in touch: hello@rememberwhomadethem.com

Resources: 

More on Business and Human Rights https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/

More on Fondo Semillas https://semillas.org.mx/en/

#WomenSewingChange campaign launched last year, as well as the video that ReMake made with Fondo Semillas' grantee partner MUSA Oaxaca in 2018.

#WomenSewingChange: https://bit.ly/2R75SbT

Podcast artwork by: Judith_P.Raynault

Music: Melisa Le Rue Life Is Beautiful produced by Colin Emmanuel

Disclaimer: This is a not for profit campaign. Everyone involved is giving their time free of charge. This podcast is not sponsored and features no adverts.

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