Anyone live in Leicester? The lockdown there has been extended.

MerylStreep - what is obvious here is that you are just plain rude.

You should try and be more respectful in future if you want others to treat you with respect.

If you read this, you’ll see the Govt knew all about the sweat shops at least two years ago and failed to take any action.
www.ft.com/content/0b26ee5d-4f4f-4d57-a700-ef49038de18c

John Lyttle, the multi-millionaire owner of Boohoo, which has made a fortune from exploiting small businesses and workers in Leicester.

Furret

growstuff

tickingbird

Lemon All if of us with open minds know why this situation is allowed to continue. It’s the same reason the council turned a blind eye in Rotherham and Rochdale. Didn’t want to rock the boat and risk losing their core voters. The exploitation of people is allowed to continue and the silence is deafening from the liberal left!

Please explain what you mean.

Probably a covert reference to the Asian community? These were authorities where Asian men groomed mainly white girls.

Though the reference to ‘open minds’ and ‘if of’ baffles me.

Baffling! The owners of the factories have been exploiting their workers, as have the fast-fashion labels, whom they were supplying. I really don't see any connection with Pakistani grooming gangs. This is all about plain, old-fashioned capitalism and exploitation. The ethnicity of factory owners is irrelevant.

It's good to see that people have become more aware and hopefully will support measures to ensure that the workers (mainly of Asian origin) in Leicester are treated more fairly.

Absolutely growstuff. I don’t understand the racist overtones as if Asian communities have the sole preserve on exploitation.

Consider Trump and the Mexican workers in meat processing plants in the US. Exactly the same scenario but ordered back to work during their ‘lockdown’ by the far right President.

And if we’re talking about sexual grooming and exploitation then look no further than recent headlines and a certain royal.

John Lyttle is joint CEO with Mahmud Kamani who founded the company (Boohoo) with Carol Kane in 2006.

I live in Leicestershire and I knew about sweatshops in different areas of the city. If I knew, why did the authorities not know and do something about it.

It baffles me that it is common knowledge on the ground and yet nothing is done.

The baffling thing as kittylester says, is why a joint investigation of the relevant authorities hasn't resulted in raids on these factories. The news reports today suggest many of those employed on £3 an hour may be here illegally, living in over crowded poor housing conditions so working and living in close proximity with poor hygiene available. The same workers are trying to send money to their families, who stayed in their homeland.
My concern isn't the legal status of the workforce, its the exploitation of those people by 'respectable' business leaders. These 'employees' are in no position to involve Unite or any other union. Cause any trouble, don't work flat out and there's no job for you.
Where are Trading Standards, Health and Safety Executive etc? I read two such factories were closed yesterday.

Iam64

The baffling thing as kittylester says, is why a joint investigation of the relevant authorities hasn't resulted in raids on these factories. The news reports today suggest many of those employed on £3 an hour may be here illegally, living in over crowded poor housing conditions so working and living in close proximity with poor hygiene available. The same workers are trying to send money to their families, who stayed in their homeland.
My concern isn't the legal status of the workforce, its the exploitation of those people by 'respectable' business leaders. These 'employees' are in no position to involve Unite or any other union. Cause any trouble, don't work flat out and there's no job for you.
Where are Trading Standards, Health and Safety Executive etc? I read two such factories were closed yesterday.

Thank you Iam that would sum it up for me.

Very well put Iam64
Totally agree.
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Random H&S inspections alone would shut down most of these sweatshops. I read this morning that toilet facilities are often disgraceful with only one toilet for 50 workers.
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The business owners probably live in big gated houses outside the perimeter of the source of their income. Morally and socially wrong in the U.K. in this day and age. Come on Leicester Council ... DO SOMETHING!

The "Businesses" in question can only be investigated by the local authority or the Health & Safety Executive etc if they are registered with Companies House and in that declare accounts.

As many of these "operations" are not compliant with the above, it becomes a police matter which I suspect they do not wish to be too much involved with for obvious reasons.

Which obvious reasons Grandad?

Iam64

Which obvious reasons Grandad?

It would add a large amount to their workload in what could be long and extensive investigations.

It may also once again bring allegations of acting against ethnic minorities while not acting against unregistered "white" businesses in Britain.

After all, a great number of us are aware of many small traders and self-employed persons that are non-registered cash in hand "businesses" of all ethnicities

In 2018 Sarah O'Conner a journalist for the FT did a report on these illegal practices in Leicester.
In 2019 she gave evidence before the select committee. All her evidence and others was dismissed by the government.
There is speculation that to close down these factories would put a huge strain on the unemployment figures in Leicester.

There is also speculation that the workers are illegal immigrants - which presumably would not impact on the unemployment figures.

I think it is more about what Grandad1943 says.

Leicester is a fabulously integrated, multi ethnic society which has benefitted hugely from all the immigrants who came here during the 60s, 70s and onwards. This is a stain on our lovely city.

But any action would also be acting for ethnic minorities because the majority of exploited workers are also from an Asian background.

People forget that there are hierarchies within ethnic minority communities, especially Hindu ones.

Thank you for explaining the situation Grandad1943. I wondered why H&S hadn’t just gone in to do some random checks (and shut them down).

Perhaps the Labour council should bring in the Police then?

If what they are doing is illegal then it’s wrong to shout ‘oh look - a squirrel’ to deflect just because others are doing it. Two wrongs don’t make a right do they?

kittylester I read that the situation in Leicester changed about 15 or 20 years ago, when pressure from the fast fashion industry wanted led to lower prices and consequently lower wages/conditions. I don't know if that's true.

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8490305/I-tell-exactly-Leicester-lockdown.html

This is well worth a read!

* delete "wanted" from previous post

It’s an open secret isn’t it? The local solidly Labour council knew about them as did the government( at least certain depts did) and various bodies linked to trade knew as well as many people who live in Leicester.
It begs the question.....why has everyone looked the other way? Especially during the pandemic.
It shouldn’t matter that these garment ‘factories’ have Asian owners, or mainly Asian workforces as whatever ethnicity they are doesn’t matter, they are breaking all kinds of laws.

I agree with you lemongrove that it really shouldn't matter about ethnicity. I wonder how many of the local council or members of various trade bodies are "workers" rather than the owners, who are exploiting others.

If the people affected weren't from an Asian background, this would look exactly same as nineteenth century England. It's exploitation of the most vulnerable members of a community by those with wealth and power. It's irrelevant what their ethnicity is.

.why has everyone looked the other way?

Didn't Grandad give us at least part of the answer to this question?

The "Businesses" in question can only be investigated by the local authority or the Health & Safety Executive etc if they are registered with Companies House and in that declare accounts.

Surely it's about more than just the government and LA appearing to be complicit. It's also partly about people wanting very cheap clothing.

I read the FT article that Meryl Streep refers to, this morning. This is what makes me even more certain that books will not be thrown.

In 2019 she gave evidence before the select committee. All her evidence and others was dismissed by the government.

Several online high end fashion sellers are implicated in these sweatshops these retailers are often given free advertising by daytime television programs in their fashion recommendations/items.

Let's hope these so called fashion experts will now stop, some are absolute hypocrites claiming to be eco aware and not endorsing slave labour in factories in Bangladesh etc but happy to endorse the Leicester Practices.

growstuff

kittylester I read that the situation in Leicester changed about 15 or 20 years ago, when pressure from the fast fashion industry wanted led to lower prices and consequently lower wages/conditions. I don't know if that's true.

The situation did change around twenty years ago not just for Leicester, but also for all of Britain.

The Blair government introduced the minimum wage but also allowed the Gig Economy to also come into being. Since that time successive governments of both colours have allowed that to flourish along with zero-hours contracts. The coming of unregistered workplaces is just another extension of the above "deregulation" and the abuse of vulnerable labour whose backgrounds always mean they have no way of seeking any protection from such vitriol employment.

Two trade unions have had great success in the courts in regard to judgments against Gig Economy working but only while Jeremy Corbyn was the leader of the Labour Party was there any support for that action politically.

Only now within the Covid crisis, it is possible to witness how such deregulation can impact on ALL who reside in Britain.