Our development model is built on one clear, universal and explicit goal: maximising profits. And to achieve it, almost everything has been permitted. We have cleared the Amazon rainforest on a catastrophic scale, despite biodiversity being fundamental to human nutrition. We have burned fossil fuels with virtually no restrictions, even knowing it would trigger an epochal climate crisis. We have exploited the Earth's natural resources without even stopping to consider what consequences that would entail. And we have granted workers in numerous economic sectors undignified wages rather than a living wage, all in the name of keeping costs as low as possible. Everything, in short, in the name of a single guiding star: earning as much as possible.

From materials to remuneration: the watchword is still, all too often, "cut costs"

Of course, one must not generalise: despite the system pushing in this direction, there are those who have chosen other paths. These remain, however, good practices that are still in the minority. And the fashion sector, in this respect, is a clear example.

For decades the industry has cut corners on materials, favouring artificial fabrics that are harmful to the climate and the environment. Take polyester, whose production depends on oil and which, as if that were not enough, releases microplastics with every wash, polluting the world's oceans. Consider that a Canadian study published in 2021 revealed that 73 per cent of the plastic particles found in the Arctic come from the synthetic fibres of clothing.

Cutting costs on materials, however, was not enough for producers. They also had to slash spending on human capital as much as possible. In countless cases this has translated into employing as few workers as possible, on the longest possible shifts, in the least costly working conditions (even at the expense of safety), and, naturally, on the lowest possible wages. The Rana Plaza tragedy was nothing other than the confirmation of all this.

The textile sector employs around 75 million people worldwide

Remuneration in the fashion sector has long been at the centre of a wide-ranging debate. The rise of fast fashion in particular — whose goal is to flood the market with products at the lowest possible prices by exploiting economies of scale — has made the problem plain for all to see. The practice has even evolved over time in the worst possible way, reaching the aberration of ultra-fast fashion: a bewildering extreme of everything that was already wrong with the industry.

It is estimated that garment production employs around 75 million people worldwide: in the majority of cases, women. And in most cases working conditions are deplorable. In Bangladesh, for example, the average wage is equivalent to around 86 euros — barely enough to survive on. According to a report by the non-governmental organisation Oxfam, in most Asian countries — where a large share of the world's textile production is concentrated (alongside Bangladesh, also Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and India) — wages are not infrequently below 1 dollar an hour.

The most critical situations are in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and India

The result: in order to offer consumers in the wealthy world T-shirts at 7 euros and trousers at 15 euros, 56 per cent of female textile workers in Bangladesh are forced to buy basic necessities on credit. In Vietnam, 37 per cent must borrow money from family or friends for the same purpose.

This is why the fight for a living wage in fashion is not only a — wholly justified — demand for respect for workers, who must not only have access to what they need to live decently, but must also be able to work a reasonable number of hours and enjoy adequate safety standards. It is also a struggle for an alternative development model — one that is just, equitable, and oriented first and foremost towards the wellbeing of people and the protection of nature: this is the point where social justice and climate justice converge.

In such a hypothetical new development model, one would have to accept the principle that wealth can grow, but only on the condition that it does not harm the environment, the climate, communities or individuals, and in a way that does not generate unacceptable inequalities. In other words, the entire paradigm would be turned on its head compared to today.

The Abiti Puliti campaign: "A socio-ecological transformation that puts work at its centre is needed"

It is clear, in fact, that a system which places rights "first" and only "then", under certain conditions, profits, will "naturally" uphold the principles of justice towards people and the Planet. The Abiti Puliti Italia campaign has been fighting in this direction for years. The goal is to "embark on radical change, through a socio-ecological transformation that places women workers at the forefront throughout the entire supply chain".

In a word, the goal is to move towards Just fashion. To get there, however, many actors need to be involved: from trade unions to activists, from workers to companies, from communities to institutions. This is why the Abiti Puliti campaign has adopted a Manifesto for a Just Transition, and organises workshops, events and campaigns across Italy.

Unacceptable critical issues in the sector in Italy too

On the other hand, critical issues – even if they don't reach the extreme situations seen in some Asian countries – do not spare our country either. According to the calculation methodology proposed by the Clean clothes campaign, which is based on the cost of living and takes a family household rather than an individual as its reference point, a living wage in Italy for a person working 40 hours a week in 2024 should be no less than two thousand euros net per month (24,000 euros net per year, or 11.50 euros per hour). And based on this threshold to identify wages that are too low, one would have to conclude that at least three in four workers across the country do not earn a living wage. In a 2014 report, Abiti Puliti explained that the average net salary is instead 1,410 euros per month.

"In Italy, our campaign takes on a concrete and urgent meaning: it is essential to invest in a just transition, focusing on welfare and living wages, rather than on military spending and rearmament. Public and private resources must be directed towards strengthening rights, reducing inequalities and building a fairer social system capable of protecting those who work every day", explains Deborah Lucchetti, coordinator of the campaign.

"Invest in the just transition rather than rearmament"

To this end, the coalition of organisations that make it up (AltraQualità, Centro Nuovo Modello di Sviluppo, Equo Garantito, Focsiv, Fondazione Finanza Etica, GuardAvanti Eta, Movimento Consumatori and Oew) proposes a series of measures that would be capable of making fashion far more sustainable from a social standpoint. Concretely, in addition to reasonable pay, the coalition also calls for fair treatment and stable employment conditions.

This year, on 25 September itself, the Clean clothes campaign will present the new Living Wage Roadmap, an update of the 2013 edition, to address the challenges of recent years and the current global context: "Not a utopian document – the organisers explain – but a concrete and achievable proposal, provided that companies, governments, trade unions and citizens consider the living wage as the foundation for a fairer economy".

The proposals: binding agreements, due diligence, gender justice, social protection and transparency

The focus is in particular on achieving "binding agreements and robust legal frameworks capable of obliging companies to uphold the right to a living wage. The new document focuses in particular on mandatory due diligence, gender justice and social protection, alongside stronger mechanisms for accountability and transparency". Fashion brands are then expected to ensure that "purchase prices and other sourcing practices allow for the payment of living wages and decent working conditions throughout the supply chain".

At the same time, governments and legislators are called upon to introduce appropriate legal frameworks and policies. The battle is still a long one, but a growing number of people in the world's wealthy countries are beginning to be aware of the need for profound change. Credit goes precisely to national and international campaigns and to the commitment of thousands of activists.