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Country reports April to June 2002
You can find the information to contact
the different groups here
Campaign on World Cup and FIFA
We addressed our aim (complete code and independent verification)
directly to Joseph S. Blatter, FIFA President. We used the
following reports:
We are not machines
(Indonesia 2002)
Information on El Salvador (CI-Romero, Germany)
Football production
in China (and up date)
Press release of
Global March on India and Pakistan
Joint statement from CCC
and Global March on FIFA
Some 60'000 flyers have been distributed for the Swiss
Worldcup Campaign (German - French). On five direct actions
many people have been informed. Till the end of June, we
collected over 3'000 signatures. Over the internet site
from Berne Declaration there is an e-mail campaign going
on till end of July 2002 (German - French - Italian - English).
New publications
CCC-Newsletter No. 5 with a simple rating of 17 companies
(German + French) and information on the behaviour of the
three companies in the pilot project.
Brochure on the CCC-Code from Berne Declaration (A5, 24
pages, German)
New schoolbook on fashion, brandnames and markets (in German
only): "Mode, Marken, Märkte" reader for
students (160 p.) and handbook for teatchers (70 p.).
National Commission on Human Rights
There is a group of Swiss Members of Parliament who
support a initiative for a Swiss Commission on Human Rights.
Based on the Vienna Declaration from 1993 the UN Commission
on Human Rights promotes the existence of national commissions
to support an active human rights policy. Such a Commission
should be a forum to discuss related issues within legislation
and government policies (such as migration-, security-,
and foreign policy). The Commission should be able to investigate
and to report on human rights issues and should have the
right give recommendations. Today there are about 40 countries
with similar institutions. Good examples of such commissions
exist in Denmark, Ireland and Australia.
Swiss Pilot Project on Independent Monitoring of a Code
of Labour Practices
for the Apparel Industry including Sportswear: update 5
and 6 can be found at the somo website www.somo.nl/monitoring
Clean Clothes Campaign
UK: LABOUR BEHIND THE LABEL
Postcard campaign
New postcard campaign targeting Matalan, French Connection
and New Look, calling on all three to produce comprehensive
code based on ILO conventions (French Connection do not
appear to have a code), to commit to independent verification
and to inform consumers of conditions in which their goods
are produced.
Matalan response: code of conduct calls for minimum wage
only to be paid, no specific reference to right to organise,
no reference to monitoring.
New Look response is a fairly detailed document - at present
being studied - and an invitation to meet with the company.
This is part of an effort to focus on lesser brands and
UK companies.
Football World Cup 2002
A World Cup leaflet was produced (of which 40,000 printed).
Bulletin 16 focused on World Cup, with details of working
conditions in Indonesia, China and India and 'what you can
do' section. Both are on our website. 35,500 leaflets distributed
in 4 weeks (with bulletin, via supporters, through unions
and youth groups, and at Glastonbury festival). Lots of
new support recruited as a result of campaign. LBL interviewed
for 4-5 mn slot on Radio 5 together with Umbro, Football
Association, consumers, etc. LBL writing to Umbro and the
Football Association.
Glastonbury 2002
LBL was offered a stall at Glastonbury by GMB London/Ethical
Threads - a good number of new supporters recruited.
Urgent Appeals
Urgent appeals circulated: GAP factory in El Salvador
and Disney workers in Bangladesh.
Resources
We have run out of 'Exposed' brochures for young people
- 5,000 distributed in 15 months. Looking for funds to reprint.
Also looking for funds to translate Spanish CCC book for
children. Video for young people is in preparation.
LBL members
a) War on Want:
UNITE representative joined two London demos outside Gucci
(Gucci are part of PPR), joined by War On Want, No Sweat,
LBL, UK textile unions and TUC.
WOW to launch a report on working conditions on cruise ships
run by Disney in preparation for autumn campaign.
b) GMB
GMB London and No Sweat are carrying out a survey of working
conditions in sweatshops in East London. Also working closely
with Ethical Threads, who source ethical T-shirts from Bangladesh,
Nicaragua and from Remploy (a GMB initiative in UK). Thousands
of LBL world cup leaflets distributed at GMB annual conference.
A number of motions passed on ethical/public procurement/globalisation
issues.
c) Ethical Consumer: recent issue on garment industry.
d) No Sweat: involved in East London sweatshops project
already mentioned. Very active in PPR protests. Raised over
£2,500 for Indonesia appeal for Dita Sari union. Planning
a national conference in November. Coordinating activities
for Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Clean Clothes Campaign
French speaking part of Belgium: Vêtements propres
WORLD CUP
Media campaign with a new version of the video clip and
distribution of 50.000 mini brochure - calendar of the cup.
Press conference on the 12 th of June
On the base of the statement towards FIFA and the Pakistan,
India and China reports and interviews of Ngadinha and indonesia
chairman of a women training ngo, in collaboraiton with
the Global March
Good press impact in the main french speaking newspaper
On the 13th June : publication of an advertising for "
the clip that will not be shown on the TV " in 3 newspapers
(Le Soir, La Libre Belgfique, La Dernière Heure)
Numerous interviews on radio and regional television
Interviews and images in the main news program 12th June
8.00 pm
Interviews and images in the " Saké Soirée
" daily broadcast (direct shootage) on the world cup
Saturday 29th June
Diffusion of the video clip
Towards 7 regional televisions
On internet (pic of 500 visitors a day)
Diffusion of the videoclip on the national television during
the main news program (without the logo Nike)
Towards FIFA
a letter to be adressed to the FIFA in support of the CCC
statement available on the website.
Clean Clothes Campaign Austria:
Clean Clothes Kampagne
In May the manager of Südwind Agentur participated
in the Vienna City Marathon under the motto "let´s
run fair" for which we got good media coverage. For
2003 we are planning a big event around the Marathon.
In June we produced a new brochure in close collaboration
with Frauensolidarität and the other organizations
working on Clean Clothes in Austria. This brochure focuses
on the consumers network and mainly on actions and campaining
and how people can get involved in the campaign. It has
32 pages and we printed 15.000 of it, of which 6.000 are
already distributed to activists.
20th June 2002
To mark the end of the coordination functions of the
Frauensolidarität in the context of the Austrian CCK,
a big party was organised in (WUK) Vienna, where more than
100 CCK friends and activists attended. One of the most
important highlights of the party was a video projection
of all activities carried out in the context of the CCK
within the last years under the coordination of Frauensolidarität.
Urgent Actions
Since early this year Südwind Agentur Vienna thankfully
undertook to handle the Urgent Actions.
by e-Mail:
Cavite EPZ Philipines, Chowdchury Bangladesh, Indonesian
Gap Supplier, Lesotho Hudson Bay Company, Maquila workers
Guatemala, North Pole Lanka, Olympic torch bearers, Brylan
PPR, Saipan Lawsuits, Tainan El Salvador, The fire that
killed 42
E-Mail Urgent Actions are currently distributed to a network
of over 250 activists all over Austria
in print, protest letters (through the newspaper "Clean
Clothes Rundbrief")
Triumph Burma
Adidas Salomon - pollution of drinking water in El Salvador
Protest letters are currently distributed to over 6000 activists
all over Austria.
Clean Clothes Campaign The Netherlands:
Schone Kleren Kampagne
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Protestletter to the FIFA and to sportswear
companies on the basis of the reports of Indonesia, China
and India (summary)
-
Workshops on Clean Clothes Communities
given to participants from local organisations and local
authorities.
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Official presentation of the Fair Wear
Foundation on the 22th of May. Now the foundation accepts
members.
-
Monitor meeting of representatives of
the FLA, SA8000, WRC, several academics, all from the
US, with representatives of the European monitor pilot
projects. A public meeting was organised as well, where
40 representatives from Dutch NGOs, Tus and the government
participated.
-
The second workshop of the three planned
on possibilities of a court case against a Multinational
in the Netherlands has been organised together with IUCN.
World Championship Football
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Together with the Swiss campaign a statement
was made towards the FIFA on it's responsibiliy for improving
the labour conditions in products bearing the FIFA or
the World Championship logo.
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E-mail action with the Global March,
in which consumers where asked to sign a petition towards
the FIFA and the large sportswear companies.
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Postcard campaign with the FNV. 300.000
postcards were send to all amateur footbalclubs and another
50.000 were send around to organisations and spread around
at festivals, meetings etc. Not many cards have been send
send back to the Clean Clothes Campaign, possibly because
it is a new target group. An advertisement was send along
with the postcards to the football clubs, which was printed
in several club magazines.
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A "relay race" was organised
through a large part of the Netehralnds, from Assen until
Tilburg. Local organisations and sportclubs were invited
to organise one part of the race, either by bicycling,
running, or sailing between 10 and 50 km, or by organsing
a local activity, for example an action or an information
point. A photo exhibition in a bus accompanied the race.
As the relaystick people carries a declaration towards
the FIFA and the large sportswear companies which was
firstly signed by Ajax. The race was quite well covered
in the local press and the whole distance, more than 450
km was done within 48 hours. The race ended at a large
multicultural festival, where 140 people arrived that
walked the last distance, and the "relaystick"
was handed over to the chair person of the FNV, who promised
to give it to the FIFA.
-
A seminar was organised with IRENE on
legal possibilities, where Clean Clothes Campaigns, international
participants and laywers were invited to look into the
possibilities of litigation and governmental binding regulation.
-
The secretariat participated in the round
table from the OECD, on suply chain responsibility, in
a conference in Berlin on CSR, the European perspective,
organised by the GTZ together with the German Round Table
(150 participants) and participated in the CSR multistakeholder
forum from the European Commission. Also we went to the
IRENE seminar on informal employment.
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English newsletter is published
Clean Clothes Campaign Flemish speaking Belgium:
Schone Kleren Campagne
Public procurement
Ghend was the 1st city to accept a declaration of intent
on May 28th
2 other communities (Aalter, Eeklo) accepted in the meantime
other communities are preparing
World championship football
The naked truth about the WCF - calender
Positive reactions
Gender: The women's department of the trade union distributed
it and it was published on a website dealing with women's
issues.
Game 'Off side'(age +16y)
Will be promoted among youth movement leaders for the summer
activities
Solidarity Appeal
PPR
Textile union distributed the appeal
Consumer action
Follow up meeting with management of JBC, Belgian garment
retailer, because JBC refused to receive the group at the
occasion of the action in January. The action group claimed
this meeting.
Training
1 training session (1 day) for a group of Belgian trade
unionists
1 training session (1/2 day) for a mixed group of trade
union delegates and NGO people
1 training session (1 day-) for international trade unionists
of WCL
Clean Clothes Campaign France: Ethique sur L'etiquette
1- Toys campaign - part 2(campagne " exploiter
n'est pas jouer ")
aim : adoption or improvement of their codes of
conduct + implementation, opening a débate with them
on the best way to inform consumers on the " social
quality " of toys (and other products when they are
not only toy's retailers) : social label...
Actions planned:
-
28-29/09 : Training for volunteers
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23/11 : national action day (50
towns)
Lobby on toy rétailers (spécialized or not)
: edition of our 3rd " carnet de notes " (reporting
leaflet on management of social quality/codes of conducts
by retailers) in partnership with "Alternatives économiques"
(monthly economic magazine, 100 000 copies), letter campaign,
demonstrations of Santa Claus asking for "clean"
toys... It will be the beginning of a six monthes campaign
(end : probably : 12th of june 2003, international day
against child labour)
-
Discussion with "Envoyé Spécial",
France 2 (public TV) on a film on working conditions in
the toy industry and consumers campaign
2- Ethical public procurements :
-
After 2 campaigns in 2000 and 2001 :
213 towns has adopted an engagement in favor of ethical
public procurements (" motion " or other engagements)
+ Conseil Régional Nord-Pas de Calais...
-
In 2002 : we push them to create a network
in partnership with the french CCC (an organized network
doesn't exist yet). To achieve this goal, we have set
up a working group with about 10 representatives of local
authorities (Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque, Tourcoing,
Tours, Limoges, Epinal, La Roche sur Yon...) and regional
council Nord-Pas de Calais (near Belgian border). Paris
is also participating in that working group but has not
yet taken an official engagement.
-
Handbook for civil servants and members
of town councils. Content :
Does the law on public procurements allows city to use
social criterias ?
Is it possible to buy " ethical " products ?
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Fair trade products
Other products : strategy to be defined. Our proposition
: a joint initiative of the 200 towns asking the 3 or
4 main companies providing them with clothes, shoes and
toys to give information on " social quality "
of the product they sells + adoption of french CCC code
of conduct + pilot projects/monitoring
(Tourcoing or Besançon, 100 000 inhabitants each,
spend each year about 150 000 euros for clothes and shoes)
How can they participate in public awareness on ethical
way of consumption (adults, schools...)
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Training (17th of june) for civil servants
and members of town councils, in collaboration with Cités
Unies-France (CUF-association of french cities, départements
and régions having international cooperation activities.
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Négociation of a partnership with
CUF to organise the network
3- Relations with companies
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17/05/02 : workshop with companies :
aim : improve involvment of NGO's and trade union in France
and in producing countries (negociation of code of conduct,
participation of the workers in the implementation of
code of conduct...). Participation of Carrefour, Auchan,
Cora, Fédération des entreprises du commerce
et de la distribution/retailers federation, Camif, Lafuma,
ITS + AMRC, FMM (trade union from Madagascar) and CCC
int. secretariat.
-
Negociation of a Health and security
program in 3 or 4 Chinese companies with Auchan, AMRC
and french CCC : Auchan said no the 28th of june. An evaluation
meeting is planned in October.
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24/10/02 : we will organise a forum on
social quality where retailers are going to be invited.
-
Participation at the french preparation
conference on sustainable development (Rennes, 1st july)
before Johannesburgh (august 2002). Ethical and fair trade
are included in a "white" book published by
the government. The french CCC participated at a workshop
on that issue. In his introductory speach, the new (conservative)
prime minister gave its support to ethical trade initiatives
and consumers education.
-
Participation at the toy conference in
Hong Kong (july 2002)
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External evaluation of the french CCC
(1995-2002) asked by the french ministry of foreign affairs
: the report will be ready in october
Clean Clothes Campaign Bulgaria
- Continued collection of information on labels, brands
and companies outsourcing in Bulgaria. There are interesting
findings and we came across different names, but that needs
further investigating and analysis in order to come up with
full subcontracting chains.
- In late May/early June some 4000 leaflets(translated
and adapted Dutch version) related to the World Soccer Championship
were distributed in schools, universities, betting offices
and mail boxes.
- The WWW booklet Organising Along Subcontracting Chains
in the Garment Industry was translated into Bulgarian and
will be distributed among TUs, NGOs, institutions and academic
circles. The effect will be multiplied by the parallel distribution
of another WWW booklet - Globalisation and Infromalisation,
which was translated by the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation.
- The English version of the report "Social Environment
and Standards at the work place in the Garment Industry
in Bulgaria" will be sent by e-mail to the CCC-Secretariat
in Amsterdam for uploading on their web site. Hard copies
are available at CCC-Bulgaria office for further distribution
upon request.
- There is good cooperation with Homeworkers WorldWide.
As a joint inititiative with them we started preparation
for the establishment of two information and consultation
centres in the pilot regions. They will try to cover non-unionised
workers(they prevail in the garment industry - more than
95%) and homeworkers. The final purpose for both groups
of workers will be organising.
CCC Eastern Europe other (since December 2001)
Action in Germany RE Romania and KarstadtQuelle:
Action postcard widely diseminated that takes up issues
of working conditions in Romania particularly in KarstadtQuelle
suppliers without naming company names.
On informal work (refering to the discussion during
the previous Euros meeting):
The incarnation of informal employment in the region is
the garment sector, regardless if informality is factory-
or home-based. These findings from a study on informal work
in the region I did for ILO corresponds with the current
change of paradigms in the ILO and elsewhere on the definition
of informality. This change has been initiated mainly by
WIEGO and it goes towards defining informality as work in
the absence of (labour) rights regardless of the place of
work (home-based, factory-based, street-based).
90% of all garment work in the East European region can
be characterised like this.
KARAT economic literacy workshop in April 2002 (KARAT
is a network of women's organisations in 14 East European
countries, the regional office is in Warsaw; KARAT started
an Economic Justice Project in April):
The 3 focus issues of the workshop were social security
reforms, informal work and general economic literacy.
Outcome quoted from the Strategic Group Report:
" Suggested actions: To take the garment sector
as an example where informal work is prevalent and where
women constitute 95% of the workforce and where an international
campaign exists which offers international networking. The
Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) research and campaign around
labour standards and informal work will allow Karat to achieve
its needs. To spread widely information throughout the region
about the possibility of being involved in the labor standards
and informal sector research; and the possibility to network
in order to address labor standards and informal sector.
As far as the involvement of Poland is concerned a meeting
of representatives of different organizations interested
in participating in the project will take place in Karat's
office in May."
Balkan research: Together with Simel Esim, ICRW
(Int. Center for Research on Women, Washington)/WIEGO-coordinator
for East Europe, I am planning a research project on relocation,
working conditions and effect of social initiatives in the
garment sectors of Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria with special
reference to informal and home-based work.
Romania:
On October 10/11, we will have a meeting in Bucuresti that
evaluates the outcomes of FWF pilot audit together with
Romanian shop stewards, NGO and TU-people, partners in Turkey,
Bulgaria and Poland and FES.
Belarus (Whiterussia) :
A start has been made documenting labour law and legal provisions
for wage (legal min. and living wage) and interviewing with
workers
Clean Clothes Campaign Spain: Ropa Limpia
Dirty Rags in TVE
-
"Dirty Rags" is a documentary
on the working conditions of employees in clandestine
workshops in Tangier and is based on a reported compiled
by the Spanish CCC (see summary). In the end, just as
it was about to be broadcast, we received a message from
their top management stating that "it isn't appropriate
at the current time" and the programme was never
broadcast.
-
In response to this censorship, the Spanish
CCC called a press conference (in the headquarters of
a trade union) at which we intended to play the video
concerned. However, before this press conference took
place we received a fax informing us that any broadcast
of the video would constitute an infringement of intellectual
property law. Therefore, in the end, we were unable to
present the video
-
The Spanish CCC is trying to obtain a
copy of the documentary. A left-wing political party is
also going to raise this issue in Congress, in addition
to requesting an explanation of the event. The majority
of the relevant media (TV and radio) have picked up on
the story. In addition, a formal complaint is being investigated
by the offical Catalonian School of Journalists
-
The Spanish CCC is encouraging people
to send letters of protest to the TV channel's various
directors. The TV channel continues to maintain that the
recording was not of a sufficiently high quality to be
broadcast.
Adolgo Dominguez' secrets
-
At the last meeting we mentioned that
our dealings with Adolfo Dominguez S.A. were at last bearing
fruit and that the company had made a series of commitments
to the campaign in respect to its transparency (of information).
-
It completed the questionnaire on corporate
social responsibility but left blank several important
questions, such as the main countries it sourced from
and in what proportion. The only additional information
that it provided us with was it 1998 Annual Report which
did not mention the issue of social responsibility.
-
When the Spanish CCC tried to contact
the company to explain that the information was not sufficient,
we were unable to establish communication. Therefore,
we decided to continue our street protests outside Adolfo
Dominguez stores.
-
In response to this "threat"
the company has included a commentary on its website regarding
social responsibility in which it mentions its membership
of Global Compact and it's promise to implement the standard
SA 8000.
-
In addition we have received the completed
questionnaire. Currently we are evaluating their response
in order to determine the future course of our campaigning.
Agreement with Mango and Burberry in Morrocco
The Spanish CCC has commissioned the Fundación
Ecología y Desarrollo (Foundation for Ecology and
Development) to look into some of production centres in
Morocco belonging to the Spanish garment retailers Mango
and Burberry. This is a direct result of the agreement on
transparency and social responsibility that both companies
signed last February. The first visit will take place during
the first few weeks of July, together with professional
representatives from the two companies, in order to evaluate
the social and working conditions in production centres
in Tangier and Casablanca.
In preparation
-
INDITEX shareholders meeting
-
In regards to the report, we are preparing
a publishable version that will also be adapted and translated
into Arabic.
-
We are currently carrying out an evaluation
of our work over the last few years. This involves two
parts: an anonymous questionnaire and an in-depth interview.
The questionnaire has been sent to all subscribers to
our newsletter and member organizations and requests feedback
on: campaign materials distributed, information provided
by the Spanish CCC, its social impact, relationship with
its members, strong and weak points and suggestions.
Italy
The Italian network Rete di Lilliput has launched a postcards
campaign during the football world championship to ask the
Italian sportswear company Robe di Kappa, who is the sponsor
of the Italian football team, to stop sourcing in Burma.
Robe di Kappa has reacted almost immediately arguing that
they are aware of social issues connected with relocations
but they think they cannot be held responsible for the political
situation of the countries where they decide to source production.
They feel they are doing their best to ensure that decent
working conditions are respected even in countries like
Burma where they say they have recently sent company inspectors.
We are now arranging a meeting with the union to see if
we can work out a common strategy.
At the end of June we held a seminar in our network with
the aim to set the basis for a monitoring work of companies'
behaviour on a local perspective.
Clean Clothes Campaign Germany: Kampagne fur Saubere Kleidung
Sports conference
Just before the start of the 2002 football world championship
the German "Clean Clothes Campaign" (CCC) organised
the conference "Fit for Fair- Towards humane working
conditions in the global sportswear industry" together
with the Students' Council of the Sports University of Cologne.
At two panels and in four workshops the various stakeholders
met for discussions: representatives of Nike, adidas and
Puma, the WFSGI, Garment workers, NGO- and trade union-representatives
from Indonesia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Romania, sports
women/ men, the German Sports Association, Members of Parliament,
attac, WRC from the US, Nike Campaign from Australia, and
many others.
The Federal Minister for Consumer was the patroness. The
conference had about 200 participants. The combination of
representatives of the industry, sports(wo)men, a well known
TV moderator and labour rights activists and the soon coming
football championships led to a big interest in the medias
- especially radio and newspapers.
The world champion in unicycle presented a long line of
postcards with consumer's demands to sportswear companies
and sports federations. As results the German Sports Association
(which represents 28 Million members) promised to support
the CCC. The media was very interested. We had articles
in more than 50 papers and magazines and also in the radio.
Speakers Tours
Before and after the sports conference there were speakers
tours. People from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Indonesia and
Rumania toured through Germany and were present at the conference.
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