Monitoring Slave Labor in Brazil's Fast-Fashion Industry

[Judi Lynn]

The Brazilian Report
By The Brazilian Report on April 15, 2020

The use of slave labor in the fast-fashion industry has been a recurring object of scrutiny around the world. Untold Creative’s 2015 documentary The True Cost offers a glimpse into the gruesome working conditions that factory workers around the world often endure. That same year, British comedian John Oliver aired a segment on his irreverent news show Last Week Tonight questioning why consumers rush to buy stylish dresses for $4.95 without ever pondering how clothing could be sold so cheaply.

In response to this challenge, Repórter Brasil, a local NGO dedicated to fighting slave labor, launched an app back in 2013 that allows consumers to check whether high street brands have used slave workers in their supply chains.

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One explanation behind the poor ratings lies in the fact that Brazilian brands seek cost-cutting solutions by employing workers from Brazil's Northeast, the poorest region in the country. But major cities such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are also guilty of slave labor—and workers there are mostly undocumented migrants. In 2019, prosecutors from the state of São Paulo rescued 91 workers in degrading conditions.

If acknowledging the problem is the first step towards finding a solution, then Brazil is on the right path. It was one of the first nations to admit to the International Labor Organization, back in 1995, that slave labor does indeed occur within its borders. Since then, 53,000 workers have been rescued from slave-like conditions, and the number of workers needing rescue dropped year on year until reaching 647 in 2017. However, the number of workers found in slave-like conditions tripled in 2018.

More:
https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/monitoring-slave-labor-brazils-fast-fashion-industry