Made in Serbia: cheap labour in the Southeast European textile sector

Pressure on wages and the decline of labour rights globally are affected by the uneven power relations in the global supply chains where the rules are set by multinational cooperation’s. When we are talking about the global apparel and footwear industries, which are also known for the lowest wages and poor working conditions, the first association are, rightfully, the countries in East and Southeast Asia.

However, after the fall of the Eastern bloc and the decline of domestic industries, countries in East and Southeast Europe have also become pools of cheap labour. Governments in these countries are competing today in diminishing the labour rights and lowering the wages with the aim of attracting foreign investors.

The Clean Clothes Campaign calculated that garment workers’ wages in Eastern and South-eastern European clothing producing countries reach only 2/3 of the EU poverty threshold.

Serbia is a typical example for cheap labour in the Southeast textile sector. Find out more in the video.