On 6 November, at Leicester’s Highfields Community Centre, a wide-ranging industry gathering convened under the banner “Fair Work and Supply Chains in the UK Garment Industry”. Organised by University of Leicester, University of Nottingham, Transform Trade and the Highfields Centre (as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science), the event brought together researchers, manufacturers, enforcement agencies and workers to explore one of the key challenges in UK manufacturing: how to make fashion fair, ethical and sustainable — from stitch to store. leicestermade.co.uk
Leading voices on fair work
A distinguished panel led the day’s discussions:
- Professor Nik Hammer (University of Leicester – specialist in work and employment) leicestermade.co.uk
- Hilary Marsh (Garment Policy Advisor, Transform Trade) leicestermade.co.uk
- Dr Sabina Lawreniuk (Principal Research Fellow, University of Nottingham) leicestermade.co.uk
- Ellias Mussa (Social Welfare Advocacy Worker, Highfields Centre) leicestermade.co.uk
- Fatimah Zaahra Li (Deputy Head, Highfields Centre) leicestermade.co.uk
- Jenny Holloway (Founder, Fashion‑Enter Ltd and Chair, ATMF) representing UK garment manufacturers striving for ethical standards amid domestic production. leicestermade.co.uk
Through workshops, research presentations and a photo exhibition, attendees explored the real-world realities of working and producing within the UK garment sector. Transform Trade’s data-led findings revealed deep‐rooted structural challenges still shaping supply chain practice. leicestermade.co.uk
Key findings — the supply chain in numbers
Some of the critical statistics presented during the event reveal how current purchasing practices impact suppliers and their workforce:
- 67 % of manufacturers reported that brands do not cover the cost of changes made after orders are agreed. leicestermade.co.uk
- Over 30 % said they had been penalised for late delivery — even when the delay stemmed from brand-imposed changes. leicestermade.co.uk
- More than 25 % said they receive changes after production has begun; of these, 77 % related to design. leicestermade.co.uk
- 29 % reported hiring additional contract workers to handle sudden order surges. leicestermade.co.uk
- 80 % said they had to increase overtime. leicestermade.co.uk
- 60 % had to cut workers’ hours because of cancelled or reduced orders, and 65 % reduced working days due to contract changes. leicestermade.co.uk
- 79 % said brands require formal audits before placing orders. leicestermade.co.uk
- 100 % said suppliers bear the full cost of these audits — yet only 6 % were guaranteed future orders as a result. leicestermade.co.uk
- Average lead times have halved since 2019, dropping from 30 to 14 days. leicestermade.co.uk
- Payment terms have lengthened (average rising from 30 to 45 days). 45 % said brands extend payments beyond agreed timelines. Only 13 % said they had never experienced an order cancellation. leicestermade.co.uk
These pressures combine to create serious volatility for manufacturers — and instability for workers — and intensify financial risk across the supply chain. leicestermade.co.uk
Fixing the foundations
Professor Hammer emphasised that while many initiatives exist to improve working conditions and supplier compliance, the larger challenge lies in strengthening the system itself. He described the current enforcement landscape in the UK’s garment sector as “hybrid” and fragmented — part public agency enforcement and part social auditing — but not always effectively connected. leicestermade.co.uk
He stressed that manufacturers face significant barriers in upgrading operations and investing in productivity, concluding that a fairer industry must address these systemic challenges, not simply the symptoms of non-compliance. leicestermade.co.uk
The policy perspective
The discussions also referenced the recent Operation Tacit review, led by Margaret Beels, Director of Labour Market Enforcement. While the review found some non-compliance in Leicester’s garment sector, the prior portrayal of the industry as being dominated by widespread exploitation was overstated. It underscored that building a “vibrant, compliant and high-value garment industry” in the UK remains both possible and essential. leicestermade.co.uk
In addition, Transform Trade revealed it will publish a full report in early 2026 containing a series of recommendations. One significant proposal is to establish a “Garment Trading Adjudicator” or “Fashion Watchdog” — modelled on the Groceries Code Adjudicator — to empower smaller producers to challenge unfair penalties, delayed payments or exploitative order changes by major retailers. leicestermade.co.uk
A shared vision for change
Speaking after the event, Jenny Holloway remarked:
“We must ensure that fair work and ethical supply chains are not just slogans — they must be the framework for rebuilding trust and resilience in UK manufacturing. Events like this prove that change is possible when all voices are heard.” leicestermade.co.uk
As the UK looks to revitalise its domestic fashion manufacturing base, the message from Leicester is clear: a fairer fashion future begins not with superficial branding or isolated initiatives — but with fixing the foundations. Ensuring that both workers and manufacturers can thrive in a system built on transparency, respect and shared responsibility.