#PayUp Petition Calls for Major Fashion Companies to Pay Garment Factories

Layla Ilchi
·3 min read

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An online petition is calling on major fashion brands to pay their garment factories for the orders canceled or delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Remake, a nonprofit organization that strives to educate consumers on the fashion industry’s treatment of women and its environmental impact, launched the #PayUp petition on April 3 to spotlight how some of the world’s biggest fashion brands owe more than $3 billion to garment factories in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Cambodia for upcoming orders.

The organization states that the companies withholding their payments has resulted in international garment workers being out of work with no severance, savings or access to health care. Remake also reports that an estimated 50 million garment workers will be impacted by COVID-19.

The petition alleges the group includes companies such as Zara, H&M, Target Corp., Mango, Primark, J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Walmart Inc., Marks & Spencer, VF Corp., C&A, PVH Corp., Tesco, Kohl’s Corp., LPP, Bestseller Fashion Group, Mothercare and Kiabi. Remake claimed these companies owe the factories based on information from the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity and Denim Expert Ltd. in Bangladesh.

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/ HELP NEEDED: we’re taking names and holding large companies accountable to #PayUp. Swipe right to get in the know! ⁣ WHY? Over $1B USD is owed to garment factories in Bangladesh 🇧🇩 leaving millions with no access to healthcare or pay, as the country doesn’t have unemployment insurance many workers are laid off without pay⁣ ⁣ WHO? Big offenders (currently 🚫ed) that we are keeping reciepts on: @primark, @ca / @mango, @vfcorp / @timberland / @vans, @tescofood, @jcpenney, @walmart, @marksandspencer, @thenorthface⁣ ⁣ HOW? Help support garment workers through factory closures due to #coronavirus by signing our @changedotorg petition 💥💥💥 LINK in bio!⁣ ⁣ We need to ACT now as we need companies to #PayUp to factories ensuring that we can better protect our strong, majority-female garment workers. ⁣ ⁣ NOTE: this is happening across the 🌍, including in India 🇳🇪, Myanmar 🇱🇹, Cambodia 🇰🇭, the USA 🇺🇸 and our join efforts with all of you is just the start as this extends to all vulnerable supply chain workers. It’s been estimated that 5️⃣0️⃣ million garment workers lives are on the line in this crisis globally. ⁣

A post shared by 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 (@remakeourworld) on Apr 2, 2020 at 8:58pm PDT

Remake also states that some of the companies have publicly promised to pay for their orders, but have provided no deadline on doing so.

The online petition has more than 1,200 signatures.

Read more here:

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Fashion Designers Create Masks, Hospital Gowns for Health-Care Workers

7 Grants for Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus

WATCH: How Fashion Is Fighting Coronavirus

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