In today's fast-paced world, every piece of fashion we enjoy comes from the hands of countless diligent workers. But have you ever wondered about the conditions under which your clothes are made? The garment industry, despite its global significance, faces numerous labor issues that demand urgent attention. This article explores five major labor problems in the industry, such as unsafe working conditions and unfair wages, and discusses how smart manufacturing technologies can offer solutions. By addressing these challenges, we aim to inspire stakeholders to improve labor conditions and rights, promoting a fairer and more sustainable future for all involved in this essential sector.
Issue One: Poor Working Conditions
The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh in 2013 brought global attention to labor health and safety issues in factories. Many factories still have poor working conditions, with workers enduring long hours in unsafe environments. We must prioritize the working conditions and safety of employees, investing in safe, clean, and humane work environments, and conducting regular safety audits, training, and establishing evacuation procedures.
Issue Two: Unfair Wages in Clothing Industry
Low wages are prevalent in the garment industry, with many frontline workers earning less than the minimum wage, working long hours without proper overtime pay. Fair wages are a basic right for workers and are crucial for ensuring their basic needs and dignity.
Issue Three: Lack of Union Representation for Clothing Workers
Many garment workers lack platforms to express their concerns or fight for better working conditions. Protecting workers' rights to organize and join unions is a core component of the International Labour Organization (ILO) standards. Brands can collaborate with suppliers who respect these rights to facilitate open dialogue between workers and their representatives.
Issue Four: Combatting Child Labor in Clothing Business
Despite international conventions and laws, child labor and forced labor persist in some areas of the garment industry. Brands should establish strict monitoring systems to ensure their supply chains comply with regulations, including comprehensive audits and close cooperation with NGOs and labor organizations to take immediate action against violations.
Issue Five: The Importance of Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing
Sustainable development is increasingly important in the garment industry, not only for the environment but also for respecting workers' rights. Brands can promote ethical sourcing by choosing suppliers that adhere to fair labor practices, maintaining supply chain transparency, and educating consumers to buy ethically produced clothing.
Challenges and Limitations of Implementing Smart Manufacturing
Smart manufacturing can improve many aspects of garment factory working environments, but there are challenges and issues it cannot completely resolve. Here are some examples:
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Social and Cultural Factors: In 2022, only 10% of Indian women of working age were employed or seeking employment, mainly due to deeply rooted traditional social norms. India remains a patriarchal society, where women are expected to be the primary caregivers, and working women often face negative perceptions. An Indian social worker noted that when she started working and left home, her family questioned her morals, even suspecting her of inappropriate behavior. Even with the introduction of smart manufacturing, lowering the entry barrier for jobs, few women enter the workforce. Increasing female labor participation is crucial for India's economic growth, realizing demographic dividends, and promoting sustainable national economic development.
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Specialized Processes or Technical Requirements: Certain manufacturing processes require complex manual operations or highly specialized skills that cannot be fully automated. For example, fabric inspection in textile or garment factories still relies heavily on manual labor. Even with equipment assistance, tasks such as lighting or environment setup require experienced workers to identify defects. The latest inspection technologies, such as AOI and AI, have limitations; AOI has many restrictions, while AI inspection requires comprehensive company considerations (time, budget, costs). Therefore, while manual inspection is slower, it remains more accurate.
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Global Supply Chain Challenges: The garment industry's supply chain spans multiple countries and regions, each facing different regulations and cultural differences. In Bangladesh, the garment manufacturing industry is an economic pillar, with relatively lax labor laws, low wages, and long working hours. In contrast, the EU has strict labor regulations emphasizing workers' rights and safety standards. These regulatory differences pose challenges for multinational garment brands in supply chain management, requiring compliance with different standards in various regions. For example, EU companies may need additional audits and monitoring for factories in Bangladesh to ensure products meet EU legal requirements, increasing operational costs and complexity. Another example is that a multinational garment brand in China may prefer introducing automation equipment, while factories in Cambodia still rely on manual output, reflecting cultural differences that challenge global supply chain management and operations.
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Human Interaction and Creativity: Smart manufacturing can improve many aspects, with automation or AI replacing repetitive tasks, but it cannot replace human creativity, interaction, cooperation, and empathy. Machines cannot maintain cultural flexibility and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds.
Potential Benefits of Smart Manufacturing in Clothing-Making Factory
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Improving Working Conditions: Automated equipment is generally cleaner and quieter than traditional factories, providing a more comfortable working environment. Automation reduces dust and noise from manual operations, improving the workplace. Additionally, smart factories typically have better lighting and temperature control, creating a more comfortable work environment.
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Enhancing Worker Safety: Automated equipment significantly reduces workplace accident risks. For example, in medical factories, non-woven fabric rolls often weigh hundreds of kilograms and require manual handling before cutting, posing injury risks. Equipment assistance can reduce handling time and accelerate cutting processes, lowering injury risks.
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Reducing Physical Labor and Increasing Efficiency: Automated equipment can perform highly repetitive tasks, ensuring fast production and consistent quality. Fewer personnel are needed, allowing workers to be assigned to more critical positions. For example, shirt factories require fabric pieces to be bonded and shaped, and manual bonding is inefficient and physically exhausting due to repetitive work. Automated equipment can effectively solve these issues.
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Promoting Fair Wages and Work-Life Balance: With increased productivity and efficiency, companies can pay workers fair wages without sacrificing profits. Additionally, automation helps regulate working hours, reducing the need for overtime and ensuring workers have sufficient rest.
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Skills Development and Career Opportunities: While factory transformation simplifies work, the rise of smart manufacturing requires new skills, such as data analysis and computer operation. These jobs are more complex than before but also enhance workers' skills and expand their career opportunities, making them more valuable and irreplaceable.
Conclusion
The garment industry plays a crucial role in the global economy but faces many labor issues. We need to improve working conditions, ensure fair wages, protect union rights, and combat child and forced labor. At the same time, smart manufacturing shows great potential in improving working environments, safety, and productivity, but challenges remain.
As part of the textile industry, OSHIMA is committed to providing automated equipment solutions to increase production efficiency, reduce waste, and improve working conditions. Our goal is to assist textile and garment factories in achieving more environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, promoting environmental protection and resource conservation.
We hope this article inspires readers to share it, raising awareness of the challenges and improvements needed in the garment industry, and working together to create a safer, fairer, and more sustainable future for this labor-intensive sector.
