(From CCC Newsletter july 99)

L’Ethique sur l’Etiquette:

The French CCC Moves Forward With Monitoring Experiments

Current facts: different codes of conduct for different companies

As companies show a relative reluctance to stick to the CCC model code (including monitoring provisions), the French CCC collective continues to insist on the practical and image-related benefits that a common code would bring. For now, the code of conduct adopted by the French retailer Auchan is quite close to L'Ethique sur l'Etiquette's code, which itself consists of most of the CCC code.

The main differences are: (1) in the retailers' engagements for the setup, application, and control of the code, which are slightly weaker in the Auchan code than in the CCC code. Auchan plans to carry out the set up, application, and control of its code. But the CCC collective will be allowed to participate. The company is willing to participate in a control body which would include members from the unions and NGOs, to circulate and promote its code in the factories, and to select some sites for pilots and to train its staff; and (2) in the freedom to organize unions. Auchan recognizes the right to free association only in countries where the legislation does.

Carrefour has not adopted a code, but has drawn up a confidential chart on social rights at work. From contacts with them, the French CCC perceives that this is essentially focused on child labour.

Codes, implementation, and monitoring are also being discussed within the FCD (Federation du Commerce et de la Distribution) which includes all the big French retailers such as Auchan, Carrefour, and Promodès. Through the FCD, knowledge can be exchanged between the companies and a common assessment carried out.

Going South for first impressions

A planned pilot project with Auchan in Vietnam is on hold for the timebeing. Pilot activity will focus first on Bangladesh and Madagascar. Philippe Mayol, from the French CCC recently returned from Madagascar where he got a first impression of the situation, met some factories managers, unions members, NGOs, and an SGS representative. A meeting with Auchan is planned to draw some lessons from this trip. The objectives were to assess the feasibility of independent monitoring, and to evaluate the need for “side-measures” (i.e. things to be done outside the factories to make the conditions better for workers).

Training the buyers

There have been six training sessions (and one more to come) for Auchan buyers. There might be one for managers. About 20 people participated in each training. The aim was to make the staff sensitive to the various aspects of the problem and motivate them to take action with their suppliers. It was also a means to gauge their reactions and answer their questions. One part of the training was dedicated to the context and to Auchan's concern for better working conditions. The other one presented the situation in developing countries where garments are produced, from the perspectives human rights workers and the French CCC, explaining why one has to be careful when taking any corrective action.

The reactions were very encouraging: buyers felt concerned and asked pragmatic questions, such as "what can we do now ?" They felt they were getting support from their company on these issues.

Side measures to replace child labour

Auchan is clearly committed to taking additional side measures where under-age children are working, but the project is only in its infancy. The French CCC is currently gathering information on what the needs are and what can be done in such a situation (for example, regarding education and financing). Some other side measures are being considered, such as training for local union members. (One supplier appeared to be in favour of this).

Prior to taking any other action in Bangladesh, the French CCC is collecting contacts of unions and NGO workers in Dhaka.

Verification: informal bodies/public norms

The French CCC is experimenting with an informal verification committee with Auchan. The company has agreed that its observation and verification activities for pilot projects would be monitored and assessed. This means following Auchan’s progress step-by-step and accompanying them where there are problems.

In this experiment, SA8000 will be the reference tool to check if the reality in the workplace conforms to Auchan's code, and the methods will be those of the certification companies which will carry out the audits (SGS or ITS). The results will be discussed within the informal committee involving Auchan and the Collective. The French collective expects to learn a lot this way. This working group could become a more formal independent verification body as the consequence of a normalization process, based on a norm recognised by the French national normalisation association (AFNOR) and the European Normalization Committee. That's why the French CCC is now moving towards tighter cooperation with the public bodies involved in setting up standards.