In 1785 the English poet William Cowper wrote: “We have no slaves at home.” More than 200 years later, that statement remains untrue. 

The nature of slavery may have changed, but the severe exploitation of workers for commercial gain remains. Indeed, while modern slavery may be out of sight, it is not yet out of existence.

Retailers have worked incredibly hard to prevent labour exploitation in their operations and supply chains, but there are places it persists. 

It is estimated that more than 10,000 garment workers in Leicester – the centre of UK clothing and textile manufacture – are exploited in factories. They are forced to toil for £3 to £4 per hour, and sometimes much less. How can this be possible in the UK in 2020?

We and our members work to eradicate these exploitative practices from supply chains.

We have signed up to the Apparel and General Merchandise Public Private Protocol, along with enforcement agencies such as the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), pledging to raise awareness of the issue and to “protect vulnerable and exploited workers and disrupt exploitative practices and help bring criminals to justice”.

BRC members also work with Fast Forward, a next-generation supply-chain labour standards improvement programme that works to uncover hidden exploitation, including indicators of forced labour, and assesses adherence to employment laws and ethical labour standards requirements. 

Fast Forward provides training for suppliers, implements better supplier terms and delists exploitative suppliers. However, more is needed to raise the whole UK fashion and textile industry to the same standards.  

In July, we co-ordinated a letter to the home secretary signed by more than 50 MPs and peers, and 40 retailers, investors and NGOs, to demand the implementation of a fit-to-trade licensing scheme for garment factories in the UK. 

“With every week exploited workers lose tens of millions in denied wages – money that represents food that can’t be bought and bills that can’t be paid. These are people who cannot afford to buy the clothes they are making”

Such a scheme would protect workers from forced labour, debt bondage and mistreatment, ensuring payment of National Minimum Wage, VAT, PAYE, National Insurance, holiday pay and health and safety.

It would also create a level playing field for businesses to compete fairly and prevent rogue operators from undercutting honest manufacturers.

Similar licensing schemes exist in farming with anyone who supplies workers for activities, such as harvesting of produce, requiring a licence from the GLAA to operate.

Disappointingly, the government is yet to act on these proposals, extending the misery for those trapped by exploitative labour practices. They say they are not sure it would work.

But with every passing week exploited workers lose tens of millions in denied wages – money that represents food that can’t be bought and heating bills that can’t be paid. These are people who cannot afford to buy the clothes they are making. 

We are determined to continue to shine the light on these issues, working with MPs such as Dr Lisa Cameron, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Textiles and Fashion, who tabled a motion in Parliament demanding the government “implement the British Retail Consortium’s proposal for a ‘fit to trade’ licensing scheme for all garment factories in the UK”.  

Labour exploitation is just one of myriad challenges that retailers face as the industry seeks to become more sustainable and ethical. 

We will imminently be launching our Climate Change Roadmap, with the ambition to become net-zero ahead of the government target of 2050 for all of UK retail and its supply chains.

For the fashion industry, this means moving to circular economy principles such as take-back, recycling and rental schemes to shift consumer behaviour and wean the industry off the disposable clothing model, which is a significant driver of carbon emissions.  

“We have a duty to our customers. The industry has an obligation to the millions of people who make our business possible”

Tackling labour exploitation through a licensing scheme represents a clear and achievable step that the UK government could take in the next 12 months.

The public wants to know that the clothes they buy have been made by workers who are paid properly, respected, valued and protected by the law.

We have a duty to our customers. The industry has an obligation to the millions of people who make our business possible.

An opportunity exists to rebuild a more sustainable and ethical future, one that can position British retail as a leading light that exports its products, knowledge and values around the world. 

We cannot let these opportunities pass us by.