The seminar was jointly organised by DAGA (Documentation and Action Group Asia), URM-CCA (Urban Rural Mission - Christian Conference of Asia) and Bread for All (Switzerland) with assistance from AMRC (Asia Monitor Resource Centre) and HKCIC (Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee). It was held at the Royal Benja Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand.

• to better understand the issues related to labour standards, codes of conduct and independent monitoring,
• to get a good picture of current initiatives in the field of labour rights and codes of conduct, especially in the textile industry and in Asia
• to discuss what local people and organisations in Asia could and should do in order to make codes of conduct a real instrument for workers' empowerment and improvement of their working conditions.

• Labour standards and labour rights-related initiatives (ILO, local laws, etc.)
• codes of conduct in the textile industry (different kinds of code and the problems they raise): content, implementation, monitoring
• the Clean Clothes Campaign (model code, results, etc.)
• the pilot projects launched by the Swiss and Swedish Campaign (independent monitoring)

• workers' rights promotion (campaigns, workers' education and organisation)
• independent monitoring (gathering of information, interview of workers outside the factories, elaboration of a complaint system, etc.)
• creation of better synergies between South and North organisations.

1. The Welcome, Introduction and Orientation was given by Chan Ben Seng, Rev Josef Widyatmadja & Miche Egger;
2. Mapping of Participants - Apo Leung and Kelly Dent
3. The Historical Analysis of the Textile Industry was not given as Dr MP Joseph was unable to make the seminar until later due to visa problems. Chan Ka Wai presented a paper on Working Conditions and Labour Rights in the Textile and Garment Industry - CHAN Ka Wai
4. Introduction to Codes of Conduct - Micheal Egger
5. Panel 1: Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) - Ineke Zeldenrust
   Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility - David Schilling
   Swiss Pilot Project - Isabelle Scherer
6. Panel 2: China Project ) - Jennifer Zhou
   Indonesian Campaign Rusti Hutajulu SISBIKUM & Samsinar Sormin Union Leader - NIKE Factory Indonesia
   Thai Labour Campaign - Lek
7. Evening Workshop - Stories from Workers.

1. Report Back by reporters from Workshops (Stories from Workers);
2. Asian Experience of Codes of Conduct - Critical Analysis; Stephen Frost, AMRC
3. Issues of pricing and Subcontracting - Parry Leung and Vicki Chan , HKCIC
4. Role and Involvement of NGOs and the Church - Father Joe Dizon, WAC

1. Report Back from Workshops (workshop reporters);
2. Workshops to discuss follow up activities in sub regional groupings: Report Back from the sub regional Workshops
3. Discussion and finalisation of draft Statement/Communiqué from the workshop
4. Evaluation and final comments
5. Closing

Day One: Evening Workshop - Stories from Workers

• Because of the "spread out" structure of the industry - investors in one corner of the triangle, the producers in another corner, and the consumers in the third, the division of labour has become important.
• Can the campaign work across borders? E.g. Can the CCC work in Thailand? Campaigns that exist in Thailand are directed at workers and not at consumers. Can northern campaigns also be aimed at educating the workers in Thailand?
• In Korea, the teachers union had a very good education campaign in schools.
• Bangladesh has a very small consumer market as far as brand name is concerned. There is little interest in working conditions. This is similar for Sri Lanka where the group who consumes brand label products is small. India, brand consciousness is also low.
• In summary, there are 3 different types of countries:
  (i) Producer countries with a very small consumer market - Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh etc
  (ii) producing countries with a growing consumer market - Thailand, Indonesia
  (iii) consuming countries with small producer markets - e.g. western market, Korea & Hong Kong
• Question is how to have an effective programme that is suitable for all three categories. Hong Kong, for e.g. has a very strong consumer potential but the awareness and concern is very low.
• Can campaigns counter advertising? Nike appears on billboards, and on TV but CCC does not appear in the same volume/level/mediums.
• The right to organise with regard to campaigning - how can the northern campaign ignite interest and awareness in this area. For a long time the focus of the campaign has been focused on the behaviour and reputation of the company. How can we link across these regions a campaign on the right to organise? How to make the campaign on the right to organise as interesting and acceptable as the anti-Nike campaign? One of the starting points is to focus on FTZ. Can we lobby governments to change situation in FTZs to allow the workers to organise?
• Translate campaign work that is consumer focused to campaigns that include the right for workers to organise.
• Seven Commandments for campaigns:
  1. Campaigns on demand - that originate from workers and are followed through on, possibly with links to other countries, if similar issues. Not determined in North.
  2. Dynamic relationship - not one group dictating the direction of the campaign
  3. To be starting from the point where the workers are organised
  4. Be prepared to work in a coalition
  5. Respect the trade union's agenda
  6. Deciding where we fit into the spectrum
  7. Set a basic menu of strategy

• Identified the different sectors that are involved and discussed the connection between each of these groups.
• Distinction between education and training
• Training for alternative employment and self-employment is also important.
• Other training skills in relation to management - accounting, conducting meetings,
• Education activities on TU, rights of workers, etc.
• Problem of time - many workers prefer doing overtime than to come for training.

• Understanding that campaigns that have emerged in the north have helped change the national agenda
• The North-South relationship should be restructured, from the experience of the workers;
  • equality of relationship - bottom up
  • trust level - how accountable are we to each other
  • fill the gap between the campaigns and what is happening at the grassroots level
• Co-ordination of groups - groups in the North and South should not have competing agenda
• Homework - need for better information
• Education: more about training - focus on training of trainers
• Need to answer the question of resources
• Who will do the training?
• Focus around workers rights, codes of conduct, labour laws, collective action
• Gender perspective in the training - need to be sensitive to the needs and concern for the workers, not just ratio balance in gender participation.

• Various elements involved - no child labour, no forced labour, right of association right of collective bargaining, minimum hours of work, minimum living wage, etc.
• Linking the development perspective and the code of conduct. It cannot be only a CoCo strategy. One southern view is that CoCo should be linked with fair trade between the north and the south. Need to build coalitions with groups that view the CoCo within the perspective of the development issue. CoCo should enable workers to organise.
• Monitoring is another important issue. How to distinguish a good code and a "PR" code.
• Implementation and monitoring should be connected to their supplying and ordering policy. Also the pricing policy.
• What are the criteria the Northern partners should have in the south - the campaign should be complementary to the partners in the south. Where there is no union, the campaign should help the formation of unions. Whether there are unions, the campaign should strengthen their ability for collective bargaining.
• Education should be focused on health and safety, organising, bargaining process
• Pilot project as a process of testing and experimentation.
• Coalition building is important.
• Need to look at the campaign from the perspective of what it can contribute to social transformation.

• Generally participants felt that the seminar met most of the stated and ambitious aims and objectives of the organisers and their own expectations. Probably the least met objective was discussion, sharing of experiences and positions on monitoring (including independent monitoring), verification and transparency;
• Further follow up on these areas (above) may be appropriate with those who have experiences in the codes debate issue, either from the perspective of worker organising or monitoring or both. Production of simple resource material could also be useful here for widespread further learning (it is acknowledged that some of this material already exists);
• For those participants new to the codes debate, follow-up, especially within the DAGA/URM-CCA Network, with additional information and further opportunities to meet and discuss how the seminar has helped, if at all, organisations with their work in communities/with workers, along with further identification of issues for discussion/learning. There may be a need to further examine implementation issues surrounding the various types of codes, including the various codes developments such as SA8000, WRAP, FLA, ETI, Pilot Projects etc;
• Controversial areas need to be debated further for example:
  • Can organisations/unions who organise also monitor?
  • What are the respective roles of Unions and NGO's in monitoring and codes verification?
  • What, if any, is the relationship between Codes, the development model, fair trade and trade agreements?
  • What campaigns do Asian Unions/NGOs want? How to organise a widespread campaign that involves the north/consumer groups on ILO Conventions such as Freedom of association, the right to organise and collectively bargain?
  • The relationship and dynamics between increased informalisation of subcontracting chains, labour laws and codes. This would also include the informal sector and homeworkers,
  • Pricing;
• Resourcing issues are critical and need further attention in all areas: organising, worker education and training, train the trainer, code implementation, monitoring and verification;
• Gender issues within the whole codes debate need to be explored further for example are gender issues included in code development, monitoring and verification;
• Codes are one tool in a long chain and complicated with the retailers, companies and brand names in one end and the suppliers and workers on the other end of the chain. Need to bring these two ends to understand each other.
• Worker Education and Training across Asia is critical to workers organising the implementation of labour law, ILO Conventions and codes.