Photography by Rita McNeill, words by Ellen Tirant
Our From the Floor Series provides insight into what we do at Dorsu, how and why. Following a brand is one thing, knowing how that brand’s product is made, by who and under what conditions is different.
Our team is the most important thing to us at Dorsu. We do what we do because we believe the conventional garment industry is inhumane, unnecessary and in dire need of some serious change. Clothing production doesn’t have to exploit people along the supply chain- as a global community we have made that choice so we can purchase more clothing, at a cheaper price.
At Dorsu, we want to break that cycle, provide an alternative for both workers and consumers and celebrate the talented people in our team that make this a possibility.
The garment industry in Cambodia is one of the largest in the world, and is rife with unsafe working conditions, unfair labour standards and dangerous worker transportation. Garment workers often come from rural areas, transported to and from work on trucks overflowing with people; or live in cramped, poorly maintained rooms on the edges of the factories.
With limited rights and no job security, Cambodian garment workers are subject to a cycle of long working hours in harsh conditions for little compensation. Majority are women, typically supporting 2-3 other family members on a single wage. Although the garment industry is one of the only industries in the country with a legal minimum wage, it isn’t enough to maintain a safe and healthy level of living standards for a huge number of these workers and their families.
Operating as an ethical clothing producer, we provide a safe and fair alternative working environment for garment workers. With high safety standards, formal employment contracts, above living wages and healthy working hours, our staff are able to support their families and play an active, positive role in their communities. With a secure job, people can develop their skills and grow their experience, increasing their exposure to higher pay and further job opportunities either within Dorsu or externally.
Co-Founded through an Australian-Cambodian friendship we based our employment conditions on international fair labour practices and Australian workplace safety standards.
The following provides some detail on our employment conditions.
Contracts and wages: All staff are employed on permanent contracts, provided with quarterly performance reviews and relevant skills development. All contracts are reviewed in full annually.
Working hours: our staff work 5 days per week, one day less than the standard Cambodian 6 day working week. Working hours do not exceed 8 hours daily and an optional 6th day during busy production periods is offered at significant overtime rates.
Leave:all employees accrue annual leave, have main national public holidays off and access sick, personal leave, maternity and paternity leave.
Safety: a production workspace poses an array of risks, and we take safety in these areas very seriously. Our equipment undergoes regular maintenance and all staff are subject to annual operations, fire safety and equipment training. We have strict safety policies in place, forming part of our employment manual and orientation and on the job training.
Our permanent team are based in Cambodia and our online distribution team is in Australia. We work with contractors currently spread across the world. We are a predominantly-Cambodian diverse team with a variety of technical skills and employment backgrounds, sharing a common desire to play our part in a business aiming to change the conventional garment industry for good.
Our From the Floor Series features: Design | Fabric | Production | Team
Questions? Please comment below or contact hello@dorsu.org
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