Shein: Poor Treatment of Workers and a Hinderance to Global Sustainability Goals
Written by Enna Qureshi, LLB Student at the University of Leeds.
In recent years, the ‘fast-fashion’ industry- which is based on “frequent new collections”1 being sold cheaply; achieved through an “emphasis on reducing production costs”2- has become exceedingly successful. One leading ‘fast-fashion’ company is ‘Shein’, who “produces thousands of garments and accessories at a rapid pace”3. Production takes place through approximately “6,000 clothing factories in China”4. Products are sold for low prices and shipped to over “150 countries and regions”5 around the world. Despite ‘Shein’ being loved by many consumers due to its cheap prices and trendy fashion products, critics have labelled the rapid production and distribution business model used by ‘Shein’ as problematic. They believe that the societal cost of the company’s business practices is far too costly. It is argued by such critics that the business, to a large extent, contributes to the poor treatment of workers and is a hinderance of the achievement of global sustainability goals.
Globalisation, defined by National Geographic as “the increasing connectedness and interdependence of world cultures and economies”6 is a phenomenon which benefits fast-fashion companies such as ‘Shein’. The goal of fast fashion is the “optimization of the supply chain”7 in order to increase profits. Globalization has brought about the increased use of “offshoring”8 whereby companies outsource labour to countries with less restrictions on factors such as working hours, wages, working conditions and environmental protection measures. “Offshoring”9 therefore allows profits to be maximised as the relaxation of these restrictions allows for “cheaper and faster production of clothing”10 compared to if the production occurred, in the UK where there are strict laws governing factors such as working conditions. Shein ships their products to over “150 countries and regions”11 around the world yet produces its products mostly in China, likely because the relaxed laws in China allow the rapid production and distribution model to thrive. Some could argue that globalisation and the fast-fashion industry has brought about more job opportunities for workers in low-income countries. However, many critics have argued that these jobs have been detrimental for the wellbeing of workers in low-income countries (LICs). For example, Anita Roddick, the late founder of successful beauty brand ‘The Body Shop’, has argued that globalisation in industries such as the fashion and beauty industry has allowed businesses to operate in countries “with few restrictions”12 and “search for the lowest wages… and the most docile and desperate workers”13 which can lead to the “destruction of livelihoods”14 and “cultures”.15 Some could criticise this viewpoint as being too simplistic. The economic stimulation brought to low-income countries by such entities might offset that criticism. However, the argument remains oversimplistic as it fails to recognise the human cost of such economic stimulation.
The United Nations has addressed the need to improve the rights of workers in many of their initiatives. Sustainable Development Goal 8, in particular, looks to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”.16 Whilst the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals seems promising in helping the rights of workers be protected, the Sustainable Development Goals are not “legally binding”.17 Therefore, governments are expected to “take ownership and establish national frameworks”18 themselves in order to achieve these goals. This is likely to slow the process of the goals being achieved in contrast to if it were mandatory laws were put in place, although this would challenge the sovereignty of countries. Human Rights protections such as the International Bill of Human Rights also exist, such as “freedom from slavery”,19 “right to just and favourable conditions at work”.20
Despite these protections, human rights violations are still occurring. Although rights are seen as “inalienable”,21 as mentioned in Article 30 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is difficult to trace all violations, and it is the responsibility of countries to include human rights in their frameworks, the United Nations has limited powers to enforce such rights. This can be illustrated through the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in 2013, in which “1134 Bangladeshi workers”22 from the fast-fashion industry were killed due to the lack of a safe working environment, which violates protections set out in the United Nations’ International Bill of Human Rights, yet there has been little change in improving the working conditions of such workers since the incident.
It can therefore be suggested that the United Nations’ human rights protections, adoption of sustainable development goals and the calls for change in the profession from respected figures such as Anita Roddick, the late founder of ‘The Body Shop’, are not enough against the fast-fashion industry giant ‘Shein’, which shows no sign of slowing down the production or distribution of products and continues to gain great profits despite criticism.
Notes:
Perry, 'Shein’s sudden rise: The human cost of fast fashion' (2022) Context News.
Ibid.
Dawkins and Mayer, 'Shein has filed to go public and is reportedly seeking up to $90 billion valuation. Here’s how Shein chartered a meteoric rise' (2023) Business Insider.
Rajvanshi, ‘Shein Is the World’s Most Popular Fashion Brand—at a Huge Cost to Us All’ (2023) <https://time.com/6247732/shein-climate-change-labor-fashion/>.
Ibid.
National Geographic, ‘Globalization’ <https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/globalization/>.
Ledezma, 'Globalization and Fashion: Too Fast, Too Furious' (2017) 4(9) Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts 1–10 (p 4).
McCosker, ‘The Impact of Fast Fashion on Garment Workers’< https://goodonyou.eco/impact-fast-fashion-garment-workers/>.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Crewe, 'Ugly beautiful? counting the cost of the Global Fashion Industry' (2008) 93(1) Geography 25–33.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
UN Women, 'SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all' <https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-and-the-sdgs/sdg-8-decent-work-economic-growth>.
United Nations, 'United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda'< https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda-retired/>.
Ibid.
United Nations: Human Rights, 'International Bill of Human Rights' <https://www.ohchr.org/en/what-are-human-rights/international-bill-human-rights>.
Ibid.
United Nations: Human Rights, 'Illustrated universal declaration of human rights' <https://www.ohchr.org/en/universal-declaration-of-human-rights/illustrated-universal-declaration-human-rights>.
Bick, Halsey, and Ekenga, 'The global environmental injustice of fast fashion' (2018) 17 Environmental Health 92.
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