Who is an outworker?
An outworkers is an individual who manufactures clothing from their home or non-conventional workplace. These highly skilled workers are often women from migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds.
Despite Australia’s workplace laws, these workers remain susceptible to exploitation, ranging from minor breaches to instances of modern slavery. This vulnerability stems from factors such as complex supply chains, isolated working conditions, limited awareness of rights, and barriers to seeking support.
The Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Union, as part of the service level agreement (SLA) with Ethical Clothing Australia, delivers an Outworker Outreach Program. Many of the Outworker Outreach Officers from the TCF Union have lived experience as garment workers and are often from similar cultural and language backgrounds. These Officers are dedicated to engaging outworkers and building relationships and trust, so the worker knows they have someone to turn if workplace issues arise.