Who benefits from a competitive garment industry?
Labour issues, along with trade agreements, are a key factor in the sustainability and health of the garment industry in Fiji as well as its contribution to social and economic development. Garment manufacturing remains a highly labour-dependent process and labour costs are the most significant production factor (Dicken 2004: 331). Labour, working conditions, and particularly wages, are often contentious political issues worldwide in the garment sector. The ‘sensitivity’ of the industry is further compounded by the predominance of female labour in production. Dicken (2004: 332) estimates that 80 per cent of the global garment labour force is female. Often these workers have limited income and few other employment choices. Given the competitive price nature of the garment industry, this means that most employment is characterised by low wages and insecure employment. The issue of wages and worker conditions is inseparable from that of where Fiji’s garment factories want to position them
