Country reports

Clean Clothes national campaigns and projects
November 2005 - February 2006

• Austria - Clean Clothes Kampagne
• Belgium North - Schone Kleren Campagne
• Belgium South - Campagne Vêtements Propres
• France - Collectif De l'éthique sur l'étiquette
• Germany- Kampagne für 'Saubere' Kleidung
• International secretariat - Clean Clothes Campaign
• Italy - Campagna Abiti Puliti
• the Netherlands - Schone Kleren Kampagne
• Spain - Campaña Ropa Limpia
• Sweden - Rena Kläder
• United Kingdom - Labour Behind the Label

Austria - Clean Clothes Kampagne

Campaigns

Tchibo/Eduscho-Campaign
This campaign is ongoing, with over 6.000 signatures collected till now (1.000 new ones since October).

Other activities and Events

• We gave presentations on the CCC at the nurses school in the regional capital Linz and at the business school of Bludenz (province Vorarlberg).

• The CCC conducted a working group on the garment sector at the trade union organised symposium "Made in China".

• We sent around press releases on the social audit report, WTO-summit (MFA), shopping guide and Puma-pilot. This got us continuing media attention.

• CCC-Austria participated in the "fairtrade goes museum" event on 8th of December in the Natural history museum.

Urgent Appeals

Spectrum
This urgent appeal is ongoing with updates and new letters. We have received 810 e-mails till now.

Fila Tae Hwa
Ongoing UA with e-mail campaign, 505 e-mails received till now.

North Sails
The ITGLWF brought in an OECD complaint at the Austrian contact point. Complaint is followed up in Austria by the metal and textile workers union (GMT) and CCC.

Hong Kong WTO Prisoners
We did an e-mail campaign with 709 mails coming in.

Monitoring and Verification

CSR
The campaign on a regular basis participates in civil society CSR discussions with TUs and NGOs, as well as in public round table discussions on CSR. CCC is also participating in the Austrian group for developing an ISO-Standard on CSR. A civil society CSR network will be founded in April 2006 with the participation of unions, chamber of workers, NGOs and the CCC (comparable with CORE in the UK).

Company Database / Rating
Three Austrian representatives are part of the company database/rating & ranking Working Group and participate actively in and between meetings.

Action handbook
The new action handbook including a shopping guide came out in December 2005. An online version and copied version is available, and a print run is planned.

Newsletter
A new CCC Austria Newsletter came out in November (circulation 12.700).

Ethical Procurement
A two page article with action guide on "How to make my community a Clean Clothes-Community" in the November issue of the newsletter was the starting point for ethical public procurement in Austria. Already there is some interest of the regional government of the province Vorarlberg. In negotiations they promised to include the ILO-standards in the next tender for firemen-uniforms.

Dignity returns
T-Shirts from Olympics-campaign printed with a very nice design. We plan to place a new order with the Solidarity Co-op for 500 shirts.

New design for Advertising campaign
A student of the Academy for Applied Arts designed an advertising campaign for the CCC.

Belgium North - Schone Kleren Campagne

Trade unions

Workshop

During their congress both the TU federation of metal workers (ACV Metaal) and the TU federation of garment workers (ACV Textura) adopted a resolution to support the CCC.

Urgent Appeals

Spectrum - Bangladesh
We visited Bangladesh with 4 Carrefour trade unionists. Programme: meeting with Carrefour Bangladesh and visit to Carrefour suppliers; visit of Spectrum site and meeting with Spectrum workers; meeting with A One and Ringshine workers. We also visited the living area of garment workers. Most of the programme was organised by the NGWF.

Ethical Procurement

Clean Clothes Communities
We have a meeting with a working group of civil servants of the Association of Flemish Provinces.

Belgium South - Campagne Vêtements Propres

Other activities and Events

BSCI conference in Brussels
We did a demonstration and press conference together with CCCers and researchers involved in the report Looking for a quick fix. We received good press coverage on the report, and follow up of Spectrum.

Urgent Appeals

Spectrum
We sent around several updates and testimonies, which were posted on the website.
We had contacts with Cotton Group on the case, and visited Bangladesh with trade unionists working in Carrefour Belgium. We followed up with them on:

Ethical Procurement

"Bien dans mes baskets", documents focusing on sport brands for a sportive public and schools:

Planned: an information file on the MFA impacts, publication foreseen in April 2006, on consolidation, increasing contractualisation and new qualitative barriers to import in Europe.

France - Collectif De l'éthique sur l'étiquette

Partner Activities
November 2005: ESE participated in the international seminar organised by Peuples Solidaires on urgent appeals.

Monitoring and Verification
We did a study and benchmark of already existing international framework agreements.

Ethical Procurement
Ongoing work of the working group called "Achats publics ethiques" (ethical public procurement), coordinated by Citees Unies France.

We publicised and distributed the report of the seminar / round table, which was organised in Lille on the 2nd of June 2005 ( "Guarantee of the Social Quality in the supply chain).

In January 2005, a representative of the World Council of Churches visited the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, on behalf of the German CCC.

Germany - Kampagne für 'Saubere' Kleidung

The protestant youth groups organised various lectures:

INKOTA-netzwerk:

Urgent Appeals

Spectrum/Shahriyar: active in organising a workers tour to Germany.
General: We are building a group which organises UA-activities in Berlin (8-10 people).

Brand related work
Puma: CCC Germany started a pilot project with Puma in two suppliers in El Salvador and the sub-suppliers. Content: discrimination/ gender focus, hours of work, FoA; audits/ workers trainings done by GMIES and ORMUSA.

Ethical Procurement

• Newsletter "Rundbrief 4 - 2005", published December 2005, Topics: Pilot project with Puma, Tchibo, WM 2006, China, ethical procurement, Euromeeting Paris, right to collective bargaining - conference IG Metall and CCC in Frankfurt.

• "Workers' tool or PR ploy? A guide to codes of international labour practice", by Ingeborg Wick, ed. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung/SÜDWIND Institut für Ökonomie und Ökumene, Bonn/Siegburg 2005, 4th revised edition (available online at SÜDWIND, FES and IS CCC website).

• "Der Stoff, aus dem die Träume sind. Vom eigenen Kleiderschrank bis zur Näherin in der Weltmarktfabrik. Ein Beispiel für Globalisierung". Eine Arbeitshilfe zum Thema Kleidung für den kirchlichen Unterricht, Schule und Jugendarbeit. Von Karin Wieder et al., Siegburg/Krefeld 2005 (only in German language).

• "No Crash - No Problem? The WTO's Liberalisation Policy Abandons Millions of Textile and Garment Workers Worldwide to the 'Mercy of the Free Market', press statement SÜDWIND Institut /Ecumenical Network Rhein Mosel Saar, Neuwied/Bonn 7 december 2005.

• "Kampf der Ausrüster" WC2006 in Germany (sponsoring, workers rights, rules for brands, how to become active), language: German, 7€, cir@ci-romero.de

• The publication "Worker´s Voice" will be translated into German.

• The publication "Looking for a quick Fix" will be translated into German.

International secretariat - Clean Clothes Campaign

Organisation Euromeeting
The IS organised and coordinated the European meeting, February 1st and 2nd, Amsterdam.

Nordic meeting
The coordinator of the Swedish CCC organised a "Nordic meeting" on January 18th. This conference brought together trade unions and non governmental organisations from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark that are involved, or want to be involved in campaigns to improve the working conditions in the garment industry. The aim of the conference was to share experiences and knowledge as well as to extend and strengthen the dialogue and the co-operation between similar initiatives, networks and organisations in the four countries. The IS supported CCC Sweden in organising this, and attended the meeting, representing the CCC IS. Interesting contacts were made, especially with groups in Norway that are interested in taking CCC issues up more structurally. CCC staff will follow up on this.

Internship Sweden
Following the Nordic meeting, we went on an internship with the Swedish CCC, to learn more about the daily activities of national coordinators, in order to be able to support national CCCs in the best possible way. From the 19th till the 24th of January she witnessed the Nordic meeting, a platform meeting, meetings with FLO Sweden and Fair Trade Center, and talked to the coordinator about issues related to national and European coordinaton. A report will be sent around shortly.

Fundraising activities
Friederike Roemer is currently doing an internship with the CCC IS, looking for new fundraising possibilities for the CCCs. She is expected to present a detailed overview of possible funds within a couple of months. Following this, it is intended to organise a one day meeting for interested CCCs on fundraising.

Urgent Appeals

Cases
A number of cases were worked on, together with the national coordinators (see the website).
Also, a new staff member was hired for four days a week: Tessel Pauli. She will start from February 1st, and will attend the Urgent Appeals section of the February Euromeeting to meet with all coordinators.

Visit Hong Kong
We participated in a panel discussion organised by China Labour Bulletin on their new proposal regarding collective contract law in China. The panel was part of a whole series of activities organised by the labour groups in Hong Kong as part of the protests against the WTO, we also joined various other meetings (a.o. on labour issues in China, gender, labour and trade and two debates organized by ICFTU and Solidar) and of course a number of demonstrations.

India meeting
CCC and CEC organised from 19th till the 21st of January a meeting in Delhi about organising, worker education, strategising. Around 80 participants attended, many of which representatives of Asian workers rights organisations. The CCC took part in a packed three days full of workshops, discussion and bonding.

Monitoring and Verification

BSCI actions Brussels
On 24th November, the Business Social Compliance Initiative held its first major conference The participants, however, had to cross a picket line organised by the International Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). Carrying signs with slogans such as "Business Sweatshop Cover-up Initiative" and "Bad Social Compliance Initiative", circa 20 representatives of the Belgian and Dutch CCC picketed the entrance of the conference together with partners from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey and Macedonia. Thomson and Thompson, the two famous detectives from the Tin-Tin comic joined the picket and commented that the BSCI fails on key criteria such as transparency and involvement of workers and trade unions. The peaceful picket started at 08.15 in the morning just outside of the main entrance, though participants were not obstructed from entering. The BSCI nevertheless called in the police, and instructed them to remove the CCC representatives outside of the gates of the Residence Palace, where the conference was held. After strongly voicing their objections, the picketers eventually went outside the gate to loudly continue their protest from the street.

Jo-in update
The main focus of activity since the last meeting (in October) has been negotiating terms of engagement with the suppliers and developing the criteria and process for selecting those who will assess the factories against the JO-IN Common Code. We have also begun to develop protocols of how the three priority areas - trade union rights, wages and hours - will be assessed at factory level. These will be subject to stakeholder consultation in the coming weeks.

The immediate next steps are to:

Ethical Procurement

Meeting Eurocities
On January 11th, we visited Silke Moschitz of Eurocities, to discuss possible cooperation between Eurocities and the CCC in the field of public ethical procurement and work wear. The outcomes of our discussions will be discussed soon, and Carole will meet with Eurocities again on February 9th, at their seminar on public ethical procurement.

New international newsletter
A new newsletter was published in December 2005, containing articles on purchasing practices, Eastern Europe, the national CCC Austria, urgent appeals, Tunesia and new resources.

Gender publication
The Gender publication "Made by Women. Gender, the global garment industry and the movement for women workers' rights" finally arrived on January 25th 2006, and will be sent around widely.

Play Fair at the Olympics CD
It is finally there, inspirational actions from around the world and all the reports that came out. Better than a book, more than a movie, larger than a slide show.

Italy - Campagna Abiti Puliti

Educational activities and public events

• We gave a training course on CSR and campaigning with a focus on CCC for (no profit national association) ARCI responsibles in Rome

• We participated as panelist in a public meeting on cotton, textile and garment, organised in Genova by Responsible Purchasing Groups

• We participated as panelist in a public meeting on CSR and textile and garment sector, organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Milan and the research organisation Avanzi

Brand related work
Brand research

The Critical Guide on Clothing edited by Centro Nuovo Modello di Sviluppo contains 93 companies analysed by means of a grid of CSR indicators - in Italian, to be published in March (see below).

CC News - monthly Italian CCC newsletter delivered in December and January (available on the web) sent to activists and several e-mail lists and journalists

The critical Guide on clothing edited by CNMS will be available in bookshops and fair trade shops from March 2006
The guide has three purposes: make social and environmental issues behind clothes well-known, give some tips for dressing in a responsible way and give information on garments and shoes companies. The guide is divided into four parts: the first describes the production and supply chain, with a particular focus on outsourcing towards low-wage countries; the second part concentrates on social and environmental issues and mainly on labour exploitation; the third part wants to suggest how to find "clean clothes" and investigates alternatives such as used clothes, fair trade, organic, etc...; the last part contains an overview of 93 companies. The research, lasted for one year, has been carried out by Centro Nuovo Modello di Sviluppo in collaboration with the Italian CCC.

• We gave a workshop at an event for 700 students organised by the Centre for International Cooperation (Nov 18, 2005)
• We gave a workshop for students (Jan 31, 2006)

• Two flyer actions (early January) in a Scapino store in Amsterdam: handing out action card on Scapino to consumers and spoke to the manager who reported back to his rayon manager and buying manager of Scapino.
• Preparations for Spectrum worker tour in February 2006.
• Intensive dialogue with Scapino (phone calls and letter writing).
• Press and publicity work on half year anniversary (article in Dutch newspaper, in FNV magazine, in Dutch CCC newsletter, on different sites etc.).

• Presentation of the report in a public meeting in the Trade Union museum in Amsterdam (Nov 15, 2005). Panellists were: Saad Belghazi from Marocco, Agatha Schmaedick from WRC and Monina Wong from Labour Action China. Attendants were representatives of NGO's, companies, press and students.
• Meetings with several companies.
• Press and publicity work (article in Dutch newspaper, in magazines of NGOs).
• Promotional / representative clothing:
• In 2006 we're doing a project on promotional / representative clothing with focus on the public transport sector.

• Action card on Scapino regarding Spectrum.
• Card with information on the CCC work and its UA system. The card stimulates people to subscribe themselves as protest letter writers.
• Printed summary of the Looking for a Quick Fix report in Dutch.

Spain - Campaña Ropa Limpia (CRL)

Other activities and Events

Press Events:

• Press release, 11th October 2005: Six months after the Spectrum Sweater case.

• Press release, 20th October 2005: Ethical Public Procurement of Work Wear, seminar in Barcelona.

• Press release, 25th October 2005: Inditex signs agreement to become member of ETI, explaining CCC's opinion.

• Press release, 29th October 2005: Barcelona's City Council issues first "clean" order of work wear.

• Press release, 9th January 2006: CRL publishes a responsible consumption guide.

• Interviews on TV and radio at regional and local level about:

  • Consumerism during Chirstmas time (December)

  • Winter Sales Time: Social responsibility in the textile industry (January)

Urgent Appeals

Spectrum Sweater (Bangladesh): e-mails and phone calls of concern to Inditex. Quite fluent relation between CRL and Inditex' CSR responsible.
* The main tool used by CRL for UA work has been press releases.
* We are working in creating a coalition of organizations around UA work and a group of cyberactivist.

The organisations that we have contacted to reinforce UA work are: CECU (critical consumer organization), CRIC (Centre for Research on Responsible Consume), IO (Oxfam), Canalsolidario (internet Solidarity channel), Consume Hasta Morir (part of Ecologistas en Acción; ecologist NGO).

Ethical Procurement

Ethical public procurement in Catalonia
The Spanish Clean Clothes Campaign has initiated a new programme in September 2004 related to the ethical public procurement. By now, we are working around Barcelona and in the near future we expect to extend this programme to other cities in Catalonia.
Barcelona's City Council has introduced social clauses in the public tender for the purchasion of gardeners work wear, which is the first experience with this in Spain.

Guia para el consume responsible de ropa / responsible garment consumption guide in Spanish, Catalan and Basc.

Sweden - Rena Kläder

Campaigns

Public Procurement
The Swedish Campaign will be launched in March or April. Prior to this a local activist education will be held in all pilot regions. Right now a research is being done that map out the Swedish work wear market; which communities buys from which companies? In June Fair Trade Center will release a website with an overview of all regions procurement policies. In August Swedwatch will release research about the production of medical tools.

Play Fair 2006
Svenska Kyrkans Unga, Röda Korsets Ungdomsförbund and Handelsanställdas Förbund will do a Play Fair 2006. Main targets for the campaign will be two sportswear retailers, Stadium and Team Sportia. Intersport will also maybe targeted. The Swedish Olympic Committee will also be targeted during this campaign, as a "checkpoint" two years before Beijing. Events that will be used is the European Championship of athletes which will take place in Gothenburg in August, and smaller local sports events.

Nordic Conference, 19 January
Rena Kläder invited several trade unions and NGO's from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. The aim of the conference was to share experiences and knowledge as well as to extend and strengthen the dialogue and the co-operation between similar initiatives, networks and organisations in the four countries and also to inspire organisations in Finland, Norway and Denmark to form CCC coalitions in the future. Two Finnish organisations, three Norweigan organisations and seven Swedish organisations participated.

The conference clearly showed that the activities in the different countries are not far from each other, and that cooperation should be possible.

Workshops in November, December, and January
From November to January 22 workshops about the garment industry in general or about ethical public procurement where held in high schools, in museums, in universities and different kinds of forums. The workshops took in 17 different cities all over Sweden and where given by Rena Kläder or the plattform members Röda Korsets Ungdomsförbund, Svenska Kyrkans Unga, Fair Trade Center or Rättviseakademin. The aproximated number of participants is 1354 persons.

Rena Kläder education
3 - 4 December Rena Kläder held it's second annual activist education. 19 activists participated, the majority was members of Red Cross youth association, some came from Trade Unions and some where on their own. The education focused on Urgent Appeals and public procurement.

Brand related work

H&M report
Four years after the Swedish Pilot project ended, there is a need for follow up. Rena Kläder receives questions from both Swedish and German consumers about H&M. And Rena Kläder don't have a clear answer to give why we don't campaign that much on H&M for example. The report is going to answer questions like: How do H&M work with monitoring? How do they relate to the transparency trend that is going on? What is the FLA? What relations does H&M have to local NGO's and Trade Unions? What is the CCC position on H&M and why? What would CCC see as the next step?

United Kingdom - Labour Behind the Label

Campaigns

Fila: Ongoing low-key work with postcards, bulletin articles, website etc.

Arcadia: We had a great public campaign before Christmas which generated a lot of interest, and a response form the company (see below).

Fashion colleges project was launched publicly on 25th January with a big event including a debate featuring designer Katherine Hamnett.

Brand related work

Arcadia: We had a big success in getting a response out of Arcadia Group, our biggest and most unresponsive target company, at Christmas. We are waiting to see whether this will translate into ongoing negotiations or whether we will have to go back to campaigning.

We have joined the 'Tescopoly' campaign in the UK.

Fila : See above

Ethical Procurement

British Olympic Association have included an ethical procurement clause in their new contract with adidas.

LOCOG/ODA (London 2012 bodies): We have submitted a proposal for an ethical procurement policy, and will meet with our contact there soon to discuss it.