Code of Conduct

here is a set of guidelines for you to follow, and if you do these things, if everyone does these things, this could result in a phenomenal outcome.

Workers in sweatshops are being taken advantage of everyday, in every way. Their pay is far too low (roughly $0.60 per day, depending on their job, e.g. sewing collars, ironing etc.), the conditions are unacceptable (piles of rubbish lying everywhere, low ceilings, and no windows etc.), and the rules are unimaginable (can’t reach water quickly and safely, workers will get beaten if they take too long at their rare, timed toilet breaks, have to finish their quota per day, no matter how long it takes.

1. Don’t buy clothes and shoes from developing countries, unless the label specifies it hasn’t been made in a sweatshop, because the working conditions are appalling (low roofs, no windows etc.). Pay is one of the most shocking things about sweatshops, workers get paid roughly $0.60 per day, that’s $218.40 per year for a full time worker, this isn’t equal to the average person in a developing country like Australia, the average income for a full time working Australian is $64,594 per year, that’s about 295 times more pay than a sweatshop worker.
2. Lobby the government about the appalling conditions in sweatshops; tell them that you won’t buy clothes made in sweatshops. If enough people did this it WOULD make a difference because the government would realise that if people won’t buy products made in sweatshops, the economy won’t thrive as well, therefore forcing them to stock shops with clothes and footwear not made in sweatshops.
3. Be associated with volunteer work through developing countries. We (non-government organisations) have opened up Sweat-free companies that provide alternative merchandise that consumer’s desire.
4. We (NGO’s) support sweat-free shops/online shops and buy products from companies which utilise union labor, even if they are slightly more expensive. We encourage young Australian’s to do the same, to support these shops, so sales of clothes made in sweatshops will decrease.
5. The CEO of Ms Jr.M’s clothing & footwear range is working towards a better working environment for her workers in sweatshops, she has increased their pay by 50%, and is working to increase it more. Because you can’t always buy sweatshop free clothes and footwear, buy from Ms Jr.M’s range whenever possible.*
6. The CEO of Ms Jr.M’s clothing & footwear range also has a suitable working environment for the workers of her sweatshops. The buildings have windows and fans, it always is clean, as they have a cleaner. The workers have safe access to water at all times, and the workers get regular toilet breaks, as well as two lunch breaks per day.*
7. Don’t buy clothes and shoes from shops that sell products made in sweatshops , e.g. Target, if their product sales decrease, they will look into the problem of why, and fix it.
8. Don’t constantly buy clothes and footwear; there are many harmful products that go into growing the fabrics used to make most garments. For example, Aldicarb (a pesticide used when growing cotton) is a nerve agent so toxic, that just one drop absorbed through the skin can kill an adult. The more clothes bought, more fabric is needed to make new clothes to stock shops.
9. Avoid buying products that are made of polyester and nylon, these fabrics are non-biodegradable, and when you throw them out they are taking up precious space in our landfills that are rapidly filling up.
10. We (activists) hold lots of meetings, protests and discussions around Australia regarding the appalling, unfair conditions (low roof’s, no windows, piles of rubbish lying around etc.) of sweatshops and environmental impacts (the harmful products and pesticide use to grow fabrics used to make clothes and footwear). Go along to these meetings and protests, numbers play a big outcome in a final decision, more people at meetings/protests means a better outcome!
11. Consider becoming a child labor advocate to fight against child workers. Children are being forced to work in sweatshops, sometimes just to support their family, and just because they are young they are being taken advantage of pay wise. For example, if an adult gets paid $0.60 a day, a child worker would get paid around $0.53 per day, and this is quite a big difference for sweatshop workers.