Fact Sheet: Hidden Subcontracting In The Garment Industry
Van der Wal Sanne, 2015
Name of publisher/editor
SOMO
Geographic area
Asia
Summary & key words
Clothing brands and retailers usually do not produce the items they sell but have their products made by a variety of manufacturers that are predominantly located in low-cost countries. As fashion trends are changing at an ever faster pace, the industry is operating at ever higher speeds and demanding quick, flexible, and cheap production from its suppliers to keep up. Inherently linked to this operating model is, amongst others, the risk of precarious workplaces that are incorporated into the supply chain through unauthorized subcontracting arrangements.