Sweated Labour among Clothing Outworkers at the Start of the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

This study examines whether sweating existed in clothing outwork in Australia at the start of the twenty-first century. A history from below investigation is conducted of the working lives of immigrant outworkers, interviewed in their own language in their own homes. Content and textual analyses of their narratives show that outwork was sweated labour. Individuals worked intensively for long hours, sometimes through the night, and often helped by family members. They worked so hard because piece rates were very low, work was irregular, and they could gain no other job. However, individuals disliked the job the least when they could pay the bills by working themselves to exhaustion. The results contribute to debates by showing that outwork was not undertaken for reasons of entrepreneurship, flexible working hours, or “pin money.” Outworkers carried out large volumes of repetitive sewing tasks to meet tight deadlines so they could make a basic living.