Script BBC Newsbeat on “Fast fashion”

Date: 24/11/20

Presenter: Rachel Stonehouse

Eye witnesses: Factory worker 1, Factory worker 2, Elliot – consumer 1, Clara – consumer 2, Consumer 3, Consumer 4.

Expert: Amy Bryher – Labour behind the label.

Intro (6 sec)

Rachel Stonehouse hearing what factory workers in India are saying about clothes and other items which are coming over here.

Factory worker 1 (8 seconds)

They have increased our work. We are forced to stay late to finish it. They yell at us and threaten to fire us.

Presenter (5 sec)

The workers have told the BBC that the conditions would never be accepted in the UK.

Factory worker 2 (7 seconds)

We are not given time to drink water. We are not given time to even use the bathroom. We barely get time to eat lunch. 

Presenter (8 seconds)

Campaign groups which support workers say this has been a problem in the supply chain for years. Amy Bryher is from “Labour behind the label”.

Expert (10 seconds)

Exploitation happens for the people who make our clothes around the world on a regular basis but, you know, it is out of view and people are not engaging with who those people are. 

Consumer 1 (15 sec)

Hello Newbeat, it’s Elliot here. I think I would say that I would care but it’s hypocritical because I am still going to go out and buy this things without looking into where they come from but I definitely think people should try to be more aware of where their products.. where they are bying from.

Consumer 2 (4 sec)

It’s kind of disgusting because there is no way of us knowing as consumers. 

Presenter ( 5 sec)

Do you care in a sense that is it something that you think about when you’re going shopping?

Consumer 2 (8 sec)

Yes, I always try to buy sort of fair trade, red tractor and free range. It’s quite hard to tell off as there is a lot of misleading advertising and it is the same with clothing and stuff. 

Consumer 3 (4 sec)

Big companies always do this sort of thing really, don’t they? It is not uncommon practice. 

Presenter (3 sec)

And is this something you think about when you’re going shopping?

Consumer 3 (5 sec)

Well I fell quite guilty cause I don’t…not really at all…When you go to shop you don’t think about where it comes from.

Consumer 4 (11 sec)

Hello Newsbeat, I’m Clara and I think we should all be conscious of it when we go shopping and look at different ways of shopping maybe with smaller businesses so we can try to prevent this from happening. 

Presenter (3 sec)

Is this something that you think about when you go shopping then?

Consumer 4 (10 sec)

We are all very conscious of it with regards to fast fashion knowing that it’s happening in super-market chains and with home-wear it is not something that I was really conscious of but now I will try and be better because of it. 

Presenter (12 sec)

All three companies say they are shocked by the claims and they are now investigating. They also say they’re working together on plans to make sure workers from the supply chair are being treated fairly. Here is Amy Bryher from “Labour behind the label” again. 

Expert (9 sec).

Brands really have a responsibility to look at what’s happening in the supply chains and say are those people being treated fairly? Are those people being exploited?