Last week, ragtrader.com.au reported on the passing of a controversial bill for the textile, clothing and footwear industry. This morning, Melbourne-based designer Lisa Barron echoed the concerns of designers nationwide with this plea to industry.
Ragtrader magazine's May 2012 edition will have a full overview of the legislation, as well as opinion pieces supporting and criticising the initiative.
Last Thursday the Labor Government passed a bill in rather unusual and swift manner. The fallout for the Australian fashion industry is disastrous, particularly for emerging and small to medium businesses such as Lisa Barron who choose to manufacture proudly in Australia.
In a nutshell the Government, aided by the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union, have thought it a good idea to ban all subcontractors, only in this industry, from having home based businesses. Most of these skilled workers are immigrants and predominately women. They choose to work from home for family reasons.
There is no transition period. So all of those amazing subcontractors, and there are thousands of them, will become unemployed IF they get to know about this new law, or be breaking the law by continuing their business as they have done so for decades in many cases. The objective is to force all workers back into factories on minimum wage. There is no way they can ALL get employment in factories. The equipment, machines they have invested in will have no value.
This new legislation is far more reaching than the politicians who fast tracked it have given any thought to. It will encompass all areas of the clothing industry such as patternmakers, machinists, cutters, pressers, even the lady who has set up a home based ironing or alteration service will be breaking the law, every suburb has these entrepreneurial businesses. They can work on a typewriter/computer at home but not on a sewing machine!!!
I NEED YOUR HELP.
A “Save Australian Fashion Industry" Facebook has been set up; it is the place information will be posted as it comes to light. Please “SHARE” this with as many people as you can who care about the future of this wonderful creative industry. We have lost enough jobs in the retail sector (38,000) in the last year, this will mean more.
If I still have your attention, here are testimonials from workers, students and factory owners who are going to either close their business or lose their jobs following this decision. Our future generation of designers need to hear this also as if we don’t save it now they will not realise their dreams or collections.