Hunter Gatherer

The Brotherhood’s Hunter Gatherer store is an innovative social enterprise selling recycled vintage clothing clothing for the fashion-conscious youth market.

It is located at 274 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

For a time, Hunter Gatherer designed and manufactured its own clothing range, and gained accreditation under the No SweatShop Label. Garments produced under the label were made in Australia under employment conditions that support the labour rights of workers including, homeworkers, printers and embroiderers.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence also signed the Homeworker Code of Practice, Retail Code, which it retains for new accessories made in Australia.

The Textile Clothing and Footwear Union estimate that there are 144,000 home based outworkers in Victoria alone. According to the union, wages are often as low as $3.70 an hour and most workers do not receive sick leave, annual leave, superannuation or work cover. These workers, predominantly women, have little opportunity to raise concerns, and face no employment security or scope to regulate workloads.

Brotherhood staff are representatives of the Homeworkers Code of Practice Committee and the RMIT School of Fashion Industry Advisory Committee.

Find out more about the No SweatShop Label and the Homeworkers Code of Practice

View the 2004 campaign manual, Campaigns at Work