Over the past week the headlines have been dominated by the feuds between The Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) over strikes within the postal service concerning postal workers pay. This has got me thinking about the power and concept of trade unions and how they operate in today’s capitalist society.

Trade unions are typically associated with manufacturing and labour intensive industries, and thus are highly relevant to the fashion industry. Production of clothes relies on considerable input of human labour, from those who pick the cotton to those who sew and stitch the fabrics together to make our ‘must haves’ for this season. 

With increasing concerns over exploitation in the fashion industry some have suggested that greater implementation of trade unions could provide improvements to workers lives by giving them a voice and the chance to collectively bargain for better working conditions and fairer pay.

The problem with this is that the majority of our clothes are produced in China, and in China, trade unions are illegal. This has lead some to argue that it is impossible to manufacture in China and be ethical. Human rights abuses in China have been documented in the media widely and as a result it has been tarnished as an ‘unethical destination’ in terms of manufacture and production.

We cannot ignore the issue that trade unions are not permitted by the government in China as this goes against good labour standards and makes it difficult to implement initiatives which improve ethical conditions for workers such as the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) base code or FairTrade certified supply chains as there is no freedom of association.

But surely it’s not that simple? 

There are on going arguments as to whether trade unions can effectively get the best for their workers. For example, a by product of the militancy of the CWU’s proposed postal  strikes is likely to cause loss in loyalty and trust in The Royal Mail, diverting sales to competitors and ultimately resulting in redundancies. This leaves us with a complex set of arguments; do workers use their voice and risk their jobs? Or stay quiet and continue to be exploited? What if they don’t even have a choice to voice their opinions?

Although trade unions don’t automatically construct equality their purpose tends to provide a symbolic structure of support. Alternatives to this can be sought, and must be if China wishes to continue to compete in a market where the demand for ethical manufacture is growing steadily. As China is one of the world’s biggest exporters of clothing we have to engage with them and take a proactive approach to change.

Hong Kong, who control many factories in China are serious about looking for solutions around the anti-trade union legislation. During a recent trip to Hong Kong, the EFF’s director, Tamsin Lejeune met with Pat Naewoo, the founder of Hong Kong’s Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium. He stated that they were dedicated to finding innovative models for social and environmental sustainability for apparel manufacture and supply. The consortium consists of a network of suppliers keen to find new and innovative ways to make production more ethical.

What do you think about production in China? What is your opinion on trade unions representing workers rights?

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