The denim jeans and fashion-forward garments stitched in Pakistan’s humming factories may end up in European wardrobes, but the stories behind their production rarely make it past the factory gates. A detailed investigation into labour practices at eight garment factories in Karachi and Lahore has revealed a deeply entrenched culture of rights violations, ranging from wage theft to forced overtime. The findings, based on 126 worker interviews, uncover a world where formal job titles mean little, and employment contracts are either non-existent or meaningless.
The report, Overworked and Underpaid: Excessive hours, wage theft and poor working conditions in Pakistan's garment export factories, published by Arisa in July 2025, lays bare the human cost behind Pakistan’s USD 18 billion textile and apparel export economy. The sector, employing approximately 15 million people across the supply chain—2.2 million in garment manufacturing alone—functions on a foundation of systemic opacity. Most workers, the report finds, have no formal grievance mechanisms, no access to social security, and no assurance they will be paid what they’re legally owed.
The factories investigated are not marginal units. These are large, vertically integrated suppliers producing denim-based ready-to-wear garments for major international buyers. They employ thousands—between 2,000 and 5,000 each—with the exception of Unit 1, which shut down in May 2024, affecting 3,000–4,000 workers. All eight had been in operation for years, and had passed multiple audits.
Yet, in every single case, workers reported being paid less than the legal minimum or denied rightful overtime, with no clarity on pay slips or bonus calculations. In Unit 1’s case, workers dismissed overnight had no notice, no severance, and no recourse. While buyer codes of conduct promised fair treatment and legal compliance, on-the-ground realities told a different story—one shaped by informal arrangements, coercive practices, and a striking absence of accountability. The report exposes how global fashion’s dependence on low-cost sourcing rests on a system that keeps workers voiceless, undocumented, and disposable.