How Covid-19 is impacting our suppliers
In the UK Covid-19 is having a massive impact on lives and businesses, but the impact is potentially far worse in places like India where we make our Jenerous clothing. We thought that we would share with you how the pandemic is impacting our suppliers and their workers in India.
Founder Jenny Allan with the team at Jacobswell, Bangalore on her first visit
How Covid-19 is Affecting Fashion Supply Chains
India's 1.3 billion people are in a 21 day lockdown and people are struggling to survive more than just the virus. For many lockdown means no work, which means no money, which means no food. If you are following the news, you will have seen that the Indian Prime Minister Modi ordered a lockdown with 4 hours notice and stopped all public transport. As businesses closed it sparked a mass exodus from major cities as migrant workers headed home to the villages, often having to walk hundreds of miles. There are fears that an outbreak in a India, one of the most densely populated countries could lead to a catastrophe.
As a result of the lockdown our factories in India are now closed, so that our workers can stay safely at home. This does mean that they are unable to continue to work on production and shipments. Due to a lack of resources the women are unable to work form home, but still need to support their families.
One of our suppliers, Jacobs Well are seeking financial assistance at this time, to help pay their employees wages during the global pandemic. Please consider supporting them at this time via the crowd funding link below.
http://www.gofundme.com/f/jacobs-well-needs-your-support
Fair Trade Production in India
As an ethical brand we are partnering with Fairtrade and ethical manufacturers in India, providing fair work to vulnerable women. Our clothes are made in small factories where the employees are paid well for the work that they do, and have safe working conditions. We also pay our suppliers a 50-60% deposit up front when booking our production slot, and pay the balance promptly on completion of the order. Sadly this is largely not the case in the retail industry. Many retail stores pay 90 days after receiving the goods in the UK.
We have recently received our new seasons product that our team at Jacobs Well have been working on, and are excited to share more about this with you soon. We have fully paid our factory for our recent order, providing the employees with much needed income. In light of the current situation with Covid-19, many retailers are cancelling their orders, leaving manufacturers with unwanted stock and little or no income for the work they have done.
As we go through this unprecedented time, keep safe and remember that those who live around the globe are experiencing equally, if not more challenging circumstances.