Fair trade T-shirts are produced by manufacturers who respect workers’ rights, provide safe working conditions, and pay fair wages. International organizations and worker cooperatives sell fair trade T-shirts at competitive prices, bypassing traditional distribution channels. Fair trade labels assure consumers they are not contributing to worker exploitation.
The clothes that one buys in a nearby store could come from any country in the world. The fair trade label on a garment is a guarantee that the consumer is not contributing to the exploitation of workers just to obtain lower-priced clothing. A fair trade T-shirt is a garment produced by a manufacturing company that respects the rights of its workers, ensures worker safety, and pays fair wages.
As manufacturers seek to maintain or increase profit margins, some companies are moving their production to countries where labor laws are not strict. This allows these companies to ignore the rights of workers, including the right to organize and express grievances. In the worst cases, these manufacturers are also unable to provide safe working conditions and decent wages. A T-shirt produced under these conditions would likely violate labor laws in the manufacturer’s home country.
A fair trade t-shirt is produced in a way that respects the people who produce the garment. The manufacturer provides safe working conditions for the workers and pays at least the minimum wage for the country where the production occurs. A fair trade T-shirt is also produced without using school-age children as production workers.
In many less developed countries with less stringent labor laws, various international organizations work to help garment workers protect their rights, secure living wages, and demand safe working conditions. These organizations often help workers by creating cooperatives whose members produce and sell fair trade T-shirts. When workers come together to form cooperatives, they can set their own prices for the clothes they make.
International organizations and worker cooperatives sell fair trade T-shirts at competitive prices. They are able to keep prices reasonable due to the alternative distribution channels they use. These cooperatives bypass some of the middlemen who price the garments at every step of the traditional garment distribution process.
Manufacturers that adhere to fair trade practices can place labels on their garments to assure their consumers that they are purchasing a fair trade t-shirt or other fair trade item of clothing. Producers who are members of the Fair Trade Federation or the World Fair Trade Federation often use the “Fair Trade Certified” label on a fair trade t-shirt. In some cases, fair trade clothing is labeled “Fair for Life Social & Fairtrade Certified”.
For garments without tags, information should be requested from the manufacturer on the company’s labor practices. The company’s public relations representative should know if the manufacturer is a member of a national or international fair trade organization. Company practices can also be verified through organizations that promote fair trade and help workers around the world protect their rights.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
