The #payupcampaign is a petition that members of the public can sign to push fashion brands who are refusing to pay for already placed orders to do so.
On April 2020, Remake, the sustainable fashion organisation, found out that multimillion-dollar brands were refusing to pay for orders that had already been placed before the COVID-19 surge.
This puts the livelihood of garment workers worldwide at risk, especially in Bangladesh, which is the world’s second-largest apparel exporter of western fast fashion. 80% of all Bangladesh exports are garment-related, making it one of the most heavily-relied on form of income for most Bangladeshis.
Bangladesh garment workers are dependent on small regular wages to feed their families, and the halt in fashion production is making it more and more difficult to put food on the table.
The government has agreed to pay a bailout, but the amount is only worth one month’s salary and therefore, does not provide a real solution to those who are facing hunger and destitution.
The #payupcampaign is not asking highstreet brands to be generous, it is asking them to be responsible and accountable. The fast fashion industry has exploited and reaped the benefits of cheap labour for many years. Despite the vast amounts of profits that brands have made over Bangladeshi workers, they are now giving up on those workers in a time of extreme difficulty.
As consumers, we have the collective power to push these brands to pay up now to save livelihoods and lives. You can sign the petition on Change.org now to take a stand.
Some brands have agreed to pay for their orders, but so far no money has exchanged hands. We need to keep insisting that these brands clean up their act and pay money where it’s due.
Some brands are also claiming that they never cancelled orders in the first place, which only highlights the need for more transparency within the fashion industry.
Brands can say anything, but this time we won’t let them get away with it.
As Remake has pointed out, there needs to be clear and written evidence of their payment promises including when and how these orders will be paid.
Remake’s campaign is holding brands accountable and shedding light on their unethical operations. The #payup campaign is proving to be a success, and you can keep the movement going by signing the petition.
Since the creation of the #payup campaign, 15 brands have agreed to pay for placed orders accounting for $600 million in Bangladesh. Estimates show that “the #PayUp campaign has helped unlock $7.5 billion in unpaid orders globally”.
As of the 24/05/2020, brands who have decided to #payup are ASOS, Adidas, H&M, Kiabi, LPP, Next, Nike, PVH, Target, Tesco, Under Armour, Uniqlo, VF Corporation and Zara.
As of 24/05/2020, brands who have refused to #payup are Forever 21, Fashion Nova, GAP, JC Penney, Primark, Mothercare, Peacocks, Urban Outfitter, Anthropologie, Free People, Walmart, Sears, Ross, The Children’s Palace, Li&Fung, Kohl’s, C&A, Arcadia, Bestseller.
If you want an updated list of brands who are paying or not, please visit the Remake page.
You can also sign the petition for the #payup campaign here.