Workers' Education and Information on Codes of Conduct,

Resource Guide

The materials listed below were collected as part of the preparation of the IRENE/CCC seminar on Workers Education on Codes of Conduct

We've tried to select those publications and materials that can be of direct use for those involved in worker education. Of course, there is much more information and literature on all of the topics listed below.

The seminar report gives more information on some of the projects and organisations mentionsed below. The report, agenda and participant list can be downloaded from the CCC website, as well as part of the materials listed below.

http://www.cleanclothes.org/codes/edu.htm

We've collected english language materials, and some Spanish. This does not mean that other language material is not available, especially some of the more general materials on codes and monitoring have equivalents in German and French. Please check the websites of the Spanish, French, Swiss, Austrian and German CCC's, you can get to them via the homepage of the CCC, "contacting us".

Finally, we aim to get as much as possible of the materials there, and to keep expanding this list! So we welcome all additions, suggestions, updates and changes.

Codes of Conduct

• "What do Workers Want from Codes of Conduct"? Lynda Yanz, article from Maquila Network Update. Contact. email: info@maquilasolidarity.org, website: http://www.maquilasolidarity.org/. Also in spanish. Article partly based on the experiences from the workshops organized as part of the women workers and codes project of Women Working Worldwide. The Maquila Network/Fair Wear website of the Canadian groups has a lot of articles on codes of conduct, monitoring and companies.
• "Codes of Conduct and TNC's: an Overview" . Nina Ascoly & Ineke Zeldenrust, 1998, info@cleanclothes.org, http://www.cleanclothes.org/codes/overvieuw.htm Describes different types of Codes: company codes, governmental codes, modelcodes from unions and NGO's; the reasons behind them and the way they are being used.
• "Views from the South" Conference report on Ethical Trade, organized by the NGO delegation in the ETI (Labour Rights Network). Email: eti@eti.org.uk, in english on the CCC website, also available in Spanish. Twenty NGO activists from Latin America, Asia and Europe debated intensively for two days on codes and their effects.
• Celia Mather (1998) "Company Codes of Conduct: What Are They? Can We Use Them? An Education Pack for Worker Activists," Women Working Worldwide, Manchester. This education pack was used by 6 groups in Asia and 6 groups in Central America, the results of the workshops are detailed in the two reports below. Translated in many local languages. Part of the set is on the ccc website, for more copies, E-mail: women-ww.@mcr1.poptel.org.uk or contact Women Working Worldwide, Centre for Employment Research, Room 126, MMU Manton Building, Rosamond Street West, Manchester M15 6LL, Tel. +44-161-247-1760, Fax: +44-161-247-6333
• "Women Workers and Codes of Conduct: Asia Workshop Report" report on Asian Regional Workshop, december 1998, Colombo, Sri Lanka. E-mail: women-ww@mcr1.poptel.org.uk.
• Central American Women's Network (1999) " Women Workers and Codes of Conduct: Central America Workshop Report ," report on Central America regional workshop, 3-5 May 1999, Managua, Nicaragua. E-mail: women-ww.@mcr1.poptel.org.uk. In Spanish and English.
• Maggie Burns and Celia Mather (1999) " UK Companies Operating in Indonesia: Responses to ethical trade issues ," Catholic Institute for International Relations, London. Includes a description of one entire subcontracting chain and implementation of the code. To order contact CIIR Unite 3, Canonbury Yard, 190a new North Road, Islington, London N1 7BJ, tel. +44-020-7354-0883; Fax: +44-020-7359-0017, e-mail: ciir@ciir.org, website: www.ciir.org. Price: 4.50 pounds
• European companies with codes : list on CCC website http://www.cleanclothes.org/codes/company-overvieuw.htm It has been indicated often that workers need to know which companies have a code and what is in it. We try to keep this list updated...Next to the list indicated here, the company section of the CCC website contains profiles of several companies that have codes, comments and actions related to this, such as next article.
• "Nike, show your workers that your commitment to human rights is genuine" , Alice Kwan, Hong Kong Christian Industrial Commitee, december 1999. Email: hkcic@hknet.com
• Forthcoming: " Can companies be good citizens, A briefing on Current Trends in Corporate Social Responsibility " Celia Mather for UN NGO Liaison Office

Homework

• "The Double Burden Intensified: Asian Women's Perceptions of Homeworking" report, Baljti Basatia and Surinder Kaur of AEKTA, february 1999. Describes how Asian women homeworkers in the West Midlands, UK, view their pay and working conditions. Order from AEKTA, 16 Holyhead Road, Handsworth, Briminghan, B21 OLT, Tel +44-121-5548747
• Information on Australia's Fairwear campaign , and the Homeworker's code of Practice that they negiotated with the Textile Fashion Industry can be found at the Fairwear website http://vic.uca.org.au/fairwear, email fairwear@vic.uca.org.au
• Homenet, the newsletter of the International Network for Homebased Workers, No. 10, Autumn 1998 " Organising for Rights: Special Issue on Consumer Campaigns and Homework," available from HomeNet, e-mail: homenet@gn.apc.org. Or: HomeNet, 24 Harlech Terrace, Leeds LS11 7DX, UK, Tel. +44-113-270-1119, fax: +44-113-277-3269
• " New Ways of Organising, Four Case Studies of Trade Union Activity. A HomeNet Study Pack " (1999) Case Studies of organising homebased workers in India, South Africa, Australia and Madeira, Portugal. HomeNet, 24 Harlech Terrace, Leeds LS11 7DX UK, tel +44-113-270-1119, fax: +44-113-277-3269, e-mail: homenet@gn.apc.org (in English)

Workers' Rights

• "Nuestros Derechos Basicos" MEC, 1998. Information and educational packages on the Made in Dignity campaign and workers rights, in Spanish. Email: mec@tnc.com.ni
• Forthcoming: Celia Mather, (1999), " Pocket Guide to Workers' Rights " (with illustrations) and "Handbook on Workers' Rights in the World Economy" (1999) draft available, Women Working Worldwide.
• " Thailand Stories of Worker Struggles " (2000) TIE Asia, 141 Ananda, Rajakaruna Mw., Colombo 10, Sri Lanka, tel/fax +94-74-617-711, e-mail: tieasia@sri.lanka.net. This publication features two cases with discussion questions (in English).

Worker Education and Globalization

• Bulletin of the International Federation of Workers' Education Associations, Alana Dave, editor. Editorial office: IFWEA Projects Office, GMB College, College Road, Manchester, M16 8BP, UK. Tel. +44-161-860-5952, Fax: +44-161-881-1853. E-mail: alana.dave@mcr1.poptel.org.uk IFWEA brings together a large number of workers education association and their experiences on a wide variety of topics are reflected in the magazien. A project on educating workers on globalization using study circle methodology at an international level is particularly interesting, the articles below and the website provide more details.
• "Responding to the Global Economy," Final Evaluation Report, IFWEA project
• "Responding to Globalisation--International Study Circles," October 1998, by Alana Dave
• IFWEA project website: http://www.tsl.fi/ifwea/isc
• " Challenging Globalisation: Solidarity and Search for Alternatives " report of Asia-Europe Joint Consultation, october 7-10, 1998 Hong Kong. Order through AMRC, email: amrc@hk.super.net. An extensive report of this consultation that brought together over 60 participants from Europe and Asia. Labour issues and gender were two of the topics under discussion.

Health and Safety

• Forthcoming: Maquiladora/Export Processing Zone Workers ' Health & Safety Manual. The Hesperian Foundation is currently working on this manual and invites especially grassroots workers' organization to give opinions and suggestions for changes. Contact: hesperianfdn@igc.apc.org
• Health and Safety Training Kits : Protecting Workers from Job Hazards; How Chemicals Affect the Body (1996), Labor Occupational Health Program, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 2515 Channing Way, Berkeley, California 94720-5120. Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean. To order, contact LOHP, tel. 001-510-642-5507.

Monitoring

• The CCC publishes regular updates on monitoring developments on their website, see for example "Overview of Recent developments on Monitoring and Verification of Codes of Conduct", october 1999. A few older reports such as Monitoring Working Conditions in the Garment Industry, SOMO 1997 and Keeping the Workfloor Clean, CCC 1998; give some insight in ways to implement codes, the demands made by NGO's and trade unions concerning this and the different models for monitoring systems.
• "Worker Rights Consortium: For the Enforcement of University Licensing Codes of Conduct, " 11-page concept paper, available from United Students Against Sweatshops.
• "What about the Workers?" by Nick Young, 5 page article in China brief, Volume 11 #3 august-november 1999. Gives a good overview of developments around monitoring and ETI.
• "Legal strategies" , TCFUA Australia. Paper providing a quick guide to the legal proceedings that the TCFUA has initiated, and explain the way the legal proceedings fit in with the over-all Fair Wear strategy.