Author: Ina Allkanjari
It is 5:30 in the morning when the fashion workers in the country wake up to get ready for a new day of work. One of them is the 43-year-old DA from Elbasan. Waking up at this hour has become a daily routine for him since 11 years ago when he started working in a fashion factory for the production of T-shirts that are exported to Italy.
Part of her daily life is also working in the pelming sector (removing unnecessary threads from sweaters), where she has to sit on a bench for over 8 hours in order to catch the rate.
"Sitting has caused problems for my back, shoulders and kidneys", she says for "Sinjalizo", adding that the intensity of work is such that during working hours it is almost impossible to stay in the toilet for more than 3 minutes.
"If I am late more, the responsibility draws my attention. He tells me that I'm putting my work in, but it's impossible to carry out my needs during the 20-minute lunch break when I don't know what to do first, eat food or wait in line for a toilet", she says, emphasizing that for more than 100 female employees, only one toilet is available.
The pay does not justify her fatigue at work, and a significant part of it even goes to occasional medical visits due to kidney problems.
"11 years ago, I was paid 18 new lek, but since it was insufficient, I asked the owner to remove me from the insurance and put it on my salary. So, I was working in the dark," says the 43-year-old, showing that although the monthly salary is already around 40 lek, it still remains insufficient to support the living of her three children and to pay the monthly rent of the house.
Working conditions and violation of standards
The fashion industry, an important part of the country's economy, continues to face a series of problems that increasingly concern employees and labor rights activists.
Low wages, difficult working conditions, violation of the labor code, informality, layoffs without reason, are some of the problems faced by fashion workers in the country. These concerns are reinforced by the voices of experts and union representatives, who shed light on a difficult reality.
Emiljando Kita, representative of the Institute for Criticism and Social Emancipation, tells "Sinjalizo" that one of the main problems in this sector is low pay and violation of labor standards.
"According to the labor code, Saturday should be a holiday, or it should be paid according to the law 50% more, but it is not enforced. The fashion workers continue to work even on Sundays when there is a high rate of work, but they still do not see it as a violation of the labor code even when they are not paid extra."
Additionally, Kita says that labor exploitation is among the biggest concerns affecting fashion workers.
"I also had family members who worked in the fashion industry. I find it very problematic because they are underpaid. Garment workers are generally the least educated and this creates opportunities for their rights to be exploited."
"You are raising your voice, you will be fired." According to Emiljando Kita, this expression is a reality for fashion workers.
"We have heard of cases when a group of workers in fashion raised their voices demanding their rights and were fired. At Ura e Instituti there was a group of workers who demanded a salary increase and the entire group was fired."
He also dwells on a case of violation of trade union rights in Bilisht, where a garment worker was dismissed from her job after engaging in trade union organizing.
"Mira Shegë, the head of the fashion workers' union in Bilisht, was fired by the owner. All the fashion workers came out in protest and told him that the dismissal is being done by the union organization and the owner was forced to return to work", says the representative of the Institute for Criticism and Social Emancipation.
The exploitation of fashion workers is a concern raised by Ferdes Onuzi, an activist for workers' rights. She tells Sinjalizo that basic rights of employees in these facilities are violated, such as the opportunity to go to the toilet.
"Employees do not consider fatigue, it is enough to get paid even though it can be very intense and their other rights are violated. For example, they cannot even go to the toilet because the toilets are closed, or if they go to the toilet twice within an hour, it becomes a problem. After it is conceived as if they are neglecting their work", says Onuzi.
Meanwhile, in addition to the difficult conditions they face every day in the workplaces of manufacturing enterprises with hundreds of women in Albania, the salary they receive is not even enough to meet basic needs. According to Ferde Onuz, activist for workers' rights, the increase in the minimum wage has not had an impact on the improvement of the lifestyle of fashion workers.
"The increase in the minimum wage has brought it closer to the average wage, while the average wage has remained unchanged for years. Of course, this does not translate into a better life for them, but on the contrary, they say that before they could be paid worse, but they could have some lek at the end of the month, while now with difficulty they manage to close the month economically".
The black payments, or the fact that after the transfer of the salary, a part of the lek must be returned to the owner, is an existing problem, according to the activist.
"Factories that are smaller, 20-100 workers, have this problem massively. If they are paid above the average, they take a part of the lek in the bank and a part in their hand. This also happens in the middle of Tirana on Siri Kodra street, imagine what happens in the districts", says Ferdes Onuzi.
The owners of fashion houses
But what do the owners of fashion shops say? Flori Zekja, owner of a fashion factory, admits that the sector has major problems with the lack of workers, but argues that this is a phenomenon that has affected many countries.
"I have about 70 employees in the fashion industry. I am looking for a worker. Currently, there are many enterprises that have closed, especially in fashion. It is not only our sector that has problems with the lack of workers. This problem is also found in other companies, it is also found in Europe, America, Canada. This is a global phenomenon now".
The fashion industry is one of the sectors most affected by the economic crisis. Fashion manufacturing companies in the country are closing their doors due to bankruptcy.
"I know companies that have 25 years of experience and have sent workers home because the fashion sector is in crisis. This is a very big disaster for both the workers and the company", says Flori Zekja.
The departure of Albanians from the country is not just an individual act, but can also be seen as a form of democratic protest against the insufficient economic situation. According to the economic expert Zef Preçi, the state should create new policies in the fashion sector to focus on the qualification of the workforce and the promotion of local production.
"On the one hand, this phenomenon has made it difficult for business to maintain profits, on the other hand, it has created a hole which the government is naively trying to fill with foreign immigrants, mainly from poor countries in Asia, Africa, etc. "
The fall in the value of the Euro currency has been an additional, complementary factor that has further complicated the situation of businesses, of the fashion industry. Economy expert Zef Preçi says that the steps the government should take is to build dialogue with the business community in order to make a fixed facility. While he points out that the wages that are in fashion refer to the minimum wage of a significant part in this sector. "The wage reflects the predatory exploitation of the workforce by the business community as a whole."
Working hours, contracts and wages
The fashion sector in Albania, known for the contracted production of clothing and shoes, has been one of the main engines of the country's economic growth in the last 10 years. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, the fall of the EUR currency and its global consequences led to a decline in orders, with a decrease of around 40% compared to previous years. According to INSTAT data of December 2023, exports of goods decreased by 6.6% compared to the same period of the previous year. This caused many enterprises to close or significantly reduce their production capacities.
In a study on the labor situation in the fashion sector for the year 2023 carried out by the Institute for Criticism and Social Emancipation, the problems that accompany this sector in Albania are reflected. The study was carried out through the collection of primary data from the development of 127 surveys with fashion workers, mainly in the area of Tirana, Durrës, Kamza.
During the study, a phenomenon observed is that despite the seniority and experience of the workers, the salary remains rigid and often does not reflect this acquired experience.
When workers were asked what they would like to change in the workplace, 56% would like to see protests organized over wages, seeing them as insufficient after the Covid-19 crisis and rising prices, followed by 22% who they wanted to improve the infrastructure, as they revealed that the factories leave a lot to be desired when it comes to the common spaces, the machines and work tools they work with or even the ventilation system in the factories.
The study also shows a marked lack of labor contracts and their copies among workers. About 9.45% of workers do not have an employment contract, and 60.63% do not have a copy of their contract.
Meanwhile, in the 2023 annual report of the State Labor and Social Services Inspectorate, there are 80,928 employees in the Manufacturing Enterprises sector and 14,013 of them are paid the minimum wage.
While fashion remains an important sector for the economy, it is time for profound changes. Protecting workers' rights, ensuring good working conditions and increasing wages are the main challenges that must be addressed to improve the lives and future of fashion workers in Albania.
This article was created based on input provided by individuals who have chosen to speak up. Share your story, empower others and be an agent for change. Visit the website: www.acqj.al/sinjalizo-dhe-ti/
