Clean Clothes Campaign - Fair Trade Christmas Gifts

The Christmas business is booming. Many consumers want clothing, toys, computers, and flowers that were produced under decent working conditions and are ready to grab for it even deeper into their pockets. Child labor, wages below the subsistence level, unhealthy working conditions and unregulated, excessive working hours: These grievances have millions of workers in the garment,  especially in Asian, African and Latin American low-wage countries. The developmental organization in Austria, Südwind (southwind) makes regular attention to these inhumane working conditions and let created a representative study from the Ethical Consumer market research firm Nielsen based on 1000 telephone interviews. The results are available now.

Let see the Barbie graphicks first:
- span Chinese production company, internal Chinese transport 1,90 €
- wages factory workers 0,40 €
- Margin trading, profit shareholders, transport, promotion 14,00 €
- customs duty 0,40 €
- material costs 1,30 €
- final price in the trade 18,00 €
Who earned on Barbie-business?

While clothing is at in terms of poor working conditions in the knowledge of the population already widespread (88%), 59% indicate, also in terms on toys of having heard about it . The problem is less pronounced sensitivity in cut flowers (33%) and the lowest knowledge it’s present in computers / hardware (22%).

80% -89% of respondents find it important that the clothing, toys, computers and the flowers they buy are produced in compliance with minimum social standards. That “no child labor” is in play asking 88% -92% of respondents. “Child labor is especially an issue, if the parents do not earn enough to feed the whole family .... In the supply chain must finally be paid a living wage, ” says Philip Doyle from Südwind KonsumentInnennetzwerk I SHOP FAIR ( Südwind consumers network I SHOP FAIR ).

Three quarters of respondents said for socially fair made products are ready to pay more, the margin is at 21.2% (computer) to 24.9% (toys). “The share of labor cost is only cents in the area, would therefore be wage increases only marginally reflected in the retail price. The demand is there! It is up to companies to respond to this and also to guarantee the supply chains in a living wage, ” says Doyle.

The message is that Fair Trade makes philosophical and moral sense. Make this holiday a Fair Trade Christmas.

“With the consumers network I SHOP FAIR we could achieve in the last three years, thousands of people and they actively support fair working conditions anywhere. This commitment and the results of the survey have shown us that in addition to price and quality, fair working conditions contribute more to purchase, “says Doyle.

Wages of a seamstress: 50 cent (1%)
The remaining 99% of the selling price will be spent for retail, control, brand companies, transporting, manufacturing and material.
Selling price 50 €

Wages of a seamstress: 20 cent (1%)
The remaining 99% of the selling price will be spent for retail, control, brand companies, transporting, manufacturing and material.
Selling price 20 €

Comments

Great post, Tatjana!

Thank You, Tom! :-)

Great post! But the final retail price of Barbies varies, from 8 € (for a cheap basic doll), to 20 € (in everyday clothes) and 25 € (evening clothes or more elaborate clothing and accessories) to up to 39 € to 45 € (doll connected with a movie).

Thank you! :-) Star Barbies are much more expensive because part of the money goes to the business partner, stars, ...  etc. It just horrible.