Getting paid for work you’ve already done should not be a problem.
In UK fashion - and in countries around the world - it is.
After exposing bad behaviour in India and Bangladesh, we’re turning our focus to how brands treat their suppliers right here in the UK.
Our new Who Pays? report shows the extent to which fashion brands routinely change orders, refuse to pay for changes they want, cancel orders after costs have been spent, and impose fines - even when delays are caused by their own changes.
This isn’t about a few bad decisions or rogue buyers.
It’s how the system works.
What’s really happening?
From the very start of the buying process, brands shift risk onto factories by:
Setting prices without looking at real production costs
Making changes after contracts are agreed - without paying the extra costs
Cancelling orders after factories have already spent money on materials and labour
Shortening lead times, forcing last-minute production
Delaying payment or reducing what was originally agreed
Each of these practices is unfair on its own. Together, they create constant risk and instability.
Who pays the price?
Despite UK manufacturers having skill and capacity to product high quality clothing, the unfair trading practices of retailers and brands have contributed to UK manufacturers experiencing volatile cashflow, and resulting in some having to close.
Workers face insecure hours, sudden loss of shifts, and intense pressure during short production windows.
This is not the fault of UK manufacturing.
It is the result of unfair purchasing practices that are normalised - and unregulated.
What needs to change?
The UK needs a Fashion Watchdog: an independent body with the power to set clear rules, enforce fair payment, and stop brands from changing the deal without consequences.
If you believe the people who make our clothes - in the UK and in countries around the world - deserve a fair deal, tell your MP to support a Fashion Watchdog today.
If you are an MP and want to add your name to the pledge, email us at campaign@transform-trade.org
Read the report.
Click below to download the Who Pays? report, which reveals in detail the constant risk and instability faced by UK-based suppliers to the fashion industry.
