Leicester’s Garment Industry

The text of the letter read:

Dear Prime Minister,

RE: Leicester’s Garment Industry

We are writing to you regarding employer malpractice in Leicester’s garment industry which has endangered workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

There are an estimated 1500 garment manufacturing businesses in Leicester employing around 10,000 people, the majority of whom are women from African, Asian and minority ethnic communities. HMRC found that, over a six-year period, a quarter of all UK textile factories caught failing to pay the minimum wage were based in Leicester, with some textile factories reportedly offering less than £3.50 an hour.

In 2019, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee published a report entitled ‘Fixing fashion: clothing consumption and sustainability’, which referred to the ‘open secret’ of workplace exploitation in Leicester.

We urge the government to adopt the report’s many recommendations and express our dismay that the government has long been aware of these issues yet failed to act.

This crisis has demonstrated the need for unionised, accountable workplaces that prioritise employee wellbeing. We believe that all workplaces must adhere to health and safety measures, and that no workers should be forced to work in unsafe conditions.

For undocumented workers and for those with No Recourse to Public Funds, it is impossible to survive without attending work despite unsafe conditions. We urge the government to ensure that all workers can afford to stay safe during the continued lockdown.

We urge your government to take this opportunity to end the exploitation of workers in
Leicester and across the UK.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP
Member of Parliament for Bootle