Garment Workers: Stitched Up In A Blind Spot Of Repression & Exploitation!
How South Asia’s garment workers are silenced and how global brands help keep it that way
The global fashion industry, worth trillions of dollars and driven by fast-changing trends, thrives on a polished image of creativity, sustainability and empowerment. Yet behind the glossy ads and influencer campaigns lies a much harsher truth, one built on the backs of millions of workers whose voices are routinely silenced. Most of these workers are women, toiling in factories across Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Their lives tell a story of fear, intimidation, low wages and relentless pressure.
Two powerful Amnesty International reports, Stitched Up and Fashion’s Blind Spot, reveal the full picture, a system of exploitation that stretches from the factory floor to global boardrooms-. The first exposes the everyday reality faced by garment workers. The second uncovers how major fashion brands, despite public claims of ethical sourcing, often enable or ignore the very conditions that allow such abuses to thrive. Combined, they present a deeply troubling narrative of a booming industry built on repression.
At the heart of the issue is the widespread denial of freedom of association, the basic right of workers to form unions, bargain collectively, protest and demand fair treatment. This right, essential for protecting all other labour rights, is consistently suppressed across the region. Amnesty’s interviews with 88 workers, unionists and experts reveal a pattern of fear-driven control. Workers who try to form unions are threatened, monitored or fired. Some are physically assaulted, others are blacklisted, ensuring no factory will employ them again. Women face additional risks such as sexual harassment in retaliation for union activity.
The retaliation does not end there. Workers who raise concerns about low wages or unsafe working conditions often find themselves demoted, verbally abused or forced to resign. Many described constant surveillance, with managers or hired security guards tracking their conversations and movements. In Bangladesh and Pakistan, police violence is common, officers have beaten, arrested and even shot at workers during peaceful protests. The line between factory authority and state force is often blurred.
Striking work is supposed to be a protected right under international law. Yet in large industrial clusters, especially Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Free Trade Zones (FTZs), strikes are heavily restricted or banned outright. These zones, designed to attract foreign investment, operate under separate legal frameworks where workers’ rights are severely limited. Factories in these zones frequently create employee councils, the management-controlled committees presented as worker representatives but stripped of any real bargaining power. They exist to give the illusion of inclusion while blocking genuine union formation.
The human cost of this suppression is staggering. Across the four countries, minimum wages fall far below the basic living wage. Workers struggle to pay rent, afford food or cover medical expenses without excessive overtime. Many survive by taking loans, trapping themselves in cycles of debt. A significant portion of the workforce is hired through contractors or in informal arrangements, leaving them without legal protections, contracts, pay slips or social security. Women, who make up the backbone of the industry, face widespread gender-based violence, including verbal abuse, humiliation and unwanted advances from supervisors. Those belonging to Dalit, minority, ethnic or migrant communities face additional discrimination on the basis of caste or identity.
While the realities on the factory floor are alarming, the complicity higher up the supply chain is equally significant. Amnesty’s companion briefing Fashion’s Blind Spot reveals the failures of 21 major global brands to effectively address these labour rights abuses. Many companies either ignored Amnesty’s questions or provided vague, generic policy statements. Only six brands, including Adidas, ASOS, Inditex, H&M, M&S and Primark, provided complete responses, and even these displayed serious gaps in preventing anti-union retaliation.
One of the briefing’s most critical findings is the role of brand purchasing practices in shaping factory behaviour. When brands demand extremely low prices and rapid production timelines, suppliers are pushed to cut costs, often at the expense of wages, safety and worker rights. Factories respond by hiring temporary labour, outsourcing to unregulated subcontractors or discouraging unions that might push back against exploitation. When brands suddenly withdraw business from a supplier due to cost or strategic decisions, workers often lose their jobs without compensation. This constant instability deters unionization and reinforces fear.
Another major concern is the overreliance on factory audits themselves, a deeply flawed system. Audits are frequently announced in advance, allowing factories to hide violations or coach workers on what to say. Most audits fail to detect union-busting, intimidation or gender-based violence, which occur behind closed doors or outside work hours. Brands that depend solely on audits essentially choose not to see the full picture.
Amnesty argues that responsible sourcing requires brands to understand the political and legal context of every country in their supply chain. In Bangladesh, unions are banned outright in SEZs. In India, union registration is deliberately delayed or denied. In Pakistan and Sri Lanka, anti-union retaliation is widespread and labour inspections are weak. Brands that claim ignorance cannot escape responsibility; their operations directly shape what happens on the ground.
The combined reports offer a pressing call to action. Governments must reform restrictive laws, ensure living wages, protect women from violence, strengthen labour inspections and uphold international labour standards. Factories must respect union rights, provide transparent contracts and maintain safe grievance mechanisms. Global fashion brands must adopt purchasing practices that do not incentivize exploitation, use their influence to prevent retaliation, engage directly with unions and disclose their supply chains openly.
Yet amid this bleak landscape, the reports also highlight resilience. Workers continue to organize despite intimidation. Women risk their safety to speak out about harassment. Activists gather evidence even under surveillance. Their determination underscores a fundamental truth: freedom of association is not just a legal right, it is the gateway to dignity, safety and equality at work.
As fashion brands race to market new collections and boast of sustainability credentials, the people who sew the world’s clothes remain trapped in silence. Their struggles form the hidden thread running through every garment in global retail chains. Until brands, governments and employers act decisively, the industry will continue to profit from fear, silence and stolen rights.
The world celebrates fashion’s creativity, but it must also confront the suffering woven into every seam. It is time to listen to the workers who make our clothes, honour their voices and demand an industry built on justice rather than exploitation.
