Nowadays, it no longer surprises anyone when people mention the poor working conditions in the garment industry. Inhumane work environments are common in the industry and human, labour, and social rights of workers and local residents are often violated. The industry wants to offer its goods at the lowest possible price and with the greatest possible margins in the richer countries. Which in turn, with their consumption habits sediment the poor practices. In 2019, the EU carried out a review of the circumstances in Cambodia. Following disastrous results, the EU's free-trade agreement with Cambodia has been restricted. This was intended to set a precedent, because Cambodia is not an isolated case. Garment companies like Adidas are already announcing that they will withdraw from Cambodia if prices rise because of the withdrawn agreement. This shows very clearly what influence foreign interest groups have on such countries. Černič devotes an entire chapter to this topic in his book “Corporate Accountability under Socio-Economic Rights”. In the chapter "Corporate accountability concerning socio-economic rights in Cambodia" he goes into detail about the conditions of the garment industry in Cambodia and gives a detailed insight into the situation. He shows how important the garment industry is for the nation and what part it plays in the violations of human, labour, and social rights. He shows how companies operate specifically from countries which have free-trade agreements. He mentions how mainly women and children work in the textile factories—ten hours a day, six days a week. They are under fixed-term contracts and have to make up for missed working hours, for example due to illness. The pressure of having a job is so great on the workers that they often have no choice but to take the job. A major problem, which Černič discusses in this chapter, is that the legal system is so underdeveloped that it allows factory owners to treat their workers to this extent. Unfortunately, these circumstances are not an isolated case, which is why Černič's findings can be applied to other cases. However, the problem is not only in the legal systems of the states concerned, even if it plays a significant role. It is a global problem and must therefore also be considered globally. Ultimately, it is the more prosperous societies that build their prosperity partly on the ills of these countries. Our consumer behaviour also promotes the policy of the lowest price and thus works against any social economic policy, although most people probably expect it globally. So, what is it that generally drives us to turn away from these problems? When we buy a cheap T-shirt, we are all aware of what is behind it. It is probably somewhere in human nature and consumption—the compulsion to buy that comes with cheap products. In the meantime, however, more and more people are turning to products that have been produced under better conditions. How successful this is, however, cannot be judged exactly. Černič shows us emphatically which problem exists and that there is a need for action. So, we can only hope that people will change their behaviours and that a holistic approach will be listened to more. Countries such as Cambodia need support from outside, even if it takes the form of pressure, as emanating from the EU. History has shown that the countries concerned are unlikely to solve the problem on their own.
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