UK brands: Do you know how your shoes are made?

Ask yourself this - do you know how and where your shoes are made? The answer is probably no. Over the years concerns ranging from poor health and safety standards to low wages, garment workers in the apparel industry are faced with have been publicly debated, but less concern tends to be raised when it comes to the workers who make our shoes. Fashion brands across the globe have begun to unite and are working together to solve the numerous issues faced by the apparel industry, ranging from environmental sustainable to ethical practices. Now the footwear industry is being called on to do the same and take responsibility for the issues throughout its supply chain via a new campaign ‘Step Up’, ahead of the latest edition of the industry’s largest annual fashion summit on sustainable fashion, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit.

UK footwear brands called on become more transparent to protect human rights violations in supply chains

The ’Step Up’ campaign is part of the Change Your Shoes project, which was developed by a coalition of 18 organisations across Europe and Asia, including Labour Behind the Label. This newly launched campaign is calling on leading UK and European footwear brands, including Deichmann, Camper, and Schuh to follow the increasing trend for greater transparency by making their supplier lists public, to show they are not afraid to be held accountable for their workers working conditions. The coalition, which includes Labour Behind The Label, stresses that it is time footwear brands go further than simple transparency and take the steps needed to protect workers from dangerous and hazardous working conditions and ensure all workers are treated fairly and equally in line with their responsibilities under UN guidelines.

Change Your Shoes from Labour Behind the Label on Vimeo.

85 percent of leather sold in the EU, which is also used to make shoes, is tanned with chromium, according to data from Labour Behind the Label. During the production process of this type of leather, workers are exposed to chemicals which can cause asthma, skin cancer and other deadly diseases. In addition, these workers often lack the funds and support to seek out the medical help they need. The footwear industry also sees women homeworkers tasked with carrying out labour intensive work stitching leather uppers - however, these women, who suffer from numerous health problems from long hours of repetitive work, are often invisible within the supply chain and are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

“Transparency is an important tool to improve conditions for shoe workers,” says Nicola Round, Campaigns Manager at Labour Behind the Label. “If we know which brands are buying from which factories, we can hold brands accountable for conditions, and workers will be better able to claim compensation and raise concerns about wages and safety. Moreover, UK citizens will be able to access information and make informed choices about their shoes.” The Change Your Shoes campaign is calling on global footwear brands including Deichmann, Camper, Prada, Birkenstock, CCC and Leder and Schuh to step up and publish the names and addresses of all their suppliers, stop using harmful chemicals and ensure fair and safe working conditions for the people produce their footwear.

In the UK, the newly launch campaign also aims to call on a number of established brands and retailers to make the same commitments, including Primark, Asda, Very.co.uk (Shop Direct), Bohoo.com, Boden, Harvey Nichols, Sports Direct, Schuh, Office, Faith (Debenhams) and Dr. Martens. “Working conditions in the global shoe industry are hidden from us as most brands keep their supply chain information a secret,” adds Round. “This has to change."

“We welcome new commitments by UK brands Clarks, Next, New Look, ASOS and Arcadia to begin publishing supplier information. We will continue to work with these companies to improve public access to supply chain information and improve working conditions. We hope that more UK brands will now Step Up and show they will be held accountable.”

Photos: Courtesy of Labour Behind the Label

Homeworker, India credit - (c) Heather Stilwell

Tannery workers, Bangladesh credit - (c) GMB Akash