Concerning the tragedy in Bangladesh

What questions do you ask before you open your wallet?

The most challenging response I have read to the tragedy in Bangladesh, written by Michele O'Neil, entitled 'Is there blood on your t-shirt?' It asks why...

"...do we accept in 2013 that for the sake of fashion or a bargain 

we turn a blind eye to the truth of the labour behind the label?" 

The human cost of the tragedy is evident in the images and testimony from Dhaka. Yet this will fade, just as all the tragedy that turns the 24-hour news cycle fades, unless we acknowledge that we are complicit in the events unfolding.

Forget democratic notions of one vote, one voice. Too many people feel disenfranchised and powerless to act when they believe that chance occurs only once every three years. Your vote, your opinion, on so many issues affecting our world, is cast every day when you open your wallet and pay for goods and services.

Marketing Corporate Responsibility...

I chose to petition K-mart after I heard of the factory collapse in Dhaka. Not because they're the worst; I hadn't even heard their name associated with the factory that collapsed. I chose K-mart because I knew I had t-shirts in a drawer that I had bought from K-mart with 'Made in Bangladesh' on the label. My purchase had made me complicit in their actions.

K-mart's website is all red, white and blue and happy, smiling faces. I doubt it's meant to be patriotic, just presenting a consistent, positive brand. Moving beyond the shopping aspect of the site (they are a retailer after all) K-mart presents an image of active, civic minded, corporate responsibility.

Corporate responsibility is probably the first thing to get our heads around. Companies like K-mart are legal entities which these days gives them many of the rights and responsibilities of people. Generally it seems they take these rights and responsibilities seriously. This is because it allows them to make a stack of money, but also because they can be held responsible if someone is hurt or injured.

Amongst K-mart's good deeds is a partnership with the 'Half the Sky' foundation. They do fantastic work supporting women's rights and I've written about them before.

K-mart also provides the outline of their 'Ethical Sourcing Code' on their website. This code is frequently referred to in discussing their business practices. It outlines standards for employment, fairness, health and safety, generally as thorough a range of protections that you could hope for. K-mart also refers to compliance with local laws and standards as well as auditing.

I believe K-mart and the sincerity of the declarations made on their website. I believe them not because I think they are all fundamentally wonderful human beings, but because they have a smiling, happy brand to protect. Without checking every website of every brand in my wardrobe I would guess they all have similar ethical standards for sourcing garments. Dead workers is just bad marketing.

And yet tragedies like Dhaka still occur.

Do I Just go Naked?

If I believe the intentions but also acknowledge the reality how can I ever go shopping again?

I've heard op-shopping suggested as an alternative. While better than joining a nudist colony I find many hipster shirts just don't fit my broad shoulders. Increasingly they are also recent cast offs from the stores we're still interrogating.

Honestly I'm not sure about the answer here.

What I do know is that more than any government or international police agency, massive corporations like Wesfarmers (the parent company of K-mart) have the ability to go into a country and exert influence on the ground. They have this power because they have money to invest.

Corporations choose countries like Bangladesh because the relatively low labour costs keep their overheads down. Even without touching labour costs a corporation like Wesfarmers can improve conditions by demanding contractors and factory owners sign up to documents like the 'Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement'. Standards like this might help prevent another building collapse.

Corporations aren't just going to do this on their own though. Remember, their marketing campaign already has us thinking they're great. As consumers we have to demand these extra steps be taken. If they don't we take our dollars somewhere they will.

Once they've done it make them tell us too. I can find coffee easily enough that will sell me on it's human rights credentials. Why not clothing?

I'm not sure how this could be implemented, but with many consumers making decisions in the store we need more transparency and information available. All our purchases are suspect as long as we continue to make them in ignorance.

Remember every one of those purchases is a vote you can cast about the world you want to live in.    

_________________

Here's the letter I wrote to K-mart:

"To whom it may concern,

I'm writing today to enquire about K-mart's sourcing and production of garments.

In the aftermath of the tragic factory collapse in Bangladesh I investigated and found that several t-shirts I had purchased at K-mart outlets were 'Made in Bangladesh'. 

I feel terrible that it has taken an incident of this magnitude to make me more aware of the conditions under which my clothes are made. Today I would like to ask you some questions that will shape my future opinions and shopping habits at K-mart.  

In researching these issues I found many encouraging things about K-mart's corporate civic standards. 

I note that K-mart is an 'official partner' of the Half the Sky foundation. The work of Half the Sky offers fantastic opportunities for women in developing countries and I applaud your support for such a worthy organisation.

In my research I also discovered information about K-mart's 'Ethical Sourcing Code'. My reading of this code suggests that K-mart applies high standards throughout the supply chain. 

One criticism I have heard leveled against garment retailers is that the supply chain is being increasingly outsourced. The rationale seems to be that 'subcontractors' and in-country manufacturers then bear the brunt of responsibility and blame when abuses and accidents occur.

I have also heard numerous criticisms about the lack of transparency of many Australian fashion retailers. At present I have been unable to discover any public comments by K-mart about any manufacturing in Bangladesh.

Your ethical sourcing code makes reference to independent auditing and compliance with local codes (building etc.) Yet it does not seem at all clear to me that this process is not open to the corruption that is an open secret in countries such as Bangladesh.

The thoughts I have offered you today came after a significant amount of research. Many consumers do not have the time or inclination to do this. For some that means continuing to shop at K-mart regardless of your supply-chain practices. For others it will mean dropping your brand for other more transparent brands.

I would like to challenge you today on two points:
- Will you endeavor to make sourcing information on ethical fashion shopping easier? Just as we now have information about our food (eggs, coffee, chocolate etc.) so to should we have easy access to information on our clothing.
- Secondly will K-mart (and your parent company Wesfarmers) sign on to the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement? Though you may not have been part of the problem in the building collapse in Dhaka, you have a unique opportunity to lead the way in being part of the solution.

Corporate entities such as Wesfarmers are able to exert influence across borders in a way politicians and individuals cannot. Globalism doesn't have to be a dirty word. Please use your influence to change the situation of workers on whom your brand success is founded.

Sincerely
Andrew Pople"