The garment and shoe industry throughout eastern and south-eastern Europe pays poverty wages. Despite working overtime, many workers in the Ukraine for example draw a salary that’s at least five times less than a living wage. Among their customers are fashion brands like Benetton, Esprit, GEOX, Triumph and Vera Moda.

Many of the 1.7 million garment workers in the region live in poverty, face perilous work conditions, including forced overtime, and have accumulated significant debts.

These European sweatshops offer cheap, yet experienced and qualified workers.  Far too often the monthly wages earned by the mostly women workforce only just meet the legal minimum monthly wages. The legal minimum wages in the region are below the respective official poverty lines and subsistence levels for these countries. The consequences are brutal. Sometimes, workers simply have nothing to eat. Their wages are just enough to pay for energy, water and heating bills.

Many of the workers are exposed to heat and toxic chemicals, unhygienic conditions, unpaid and illegal forced overtime, and abusive treatment by management. Workers are intimidated and are under constant threat of termination or relocation. Many are forced to work overtime just to reach their production targets. Major international fashion brands profit substantially from these low wage system.