Since 2000 the Clean Clothes Campaign, CNV Youth Organization (Dutch union
federation) and the Dutch National Youth Council, a coalition of youth organizations,
have collaborated on a project called the 'Fashion Files'. The main goal of the
Fashion Files is to make young utch people aware of workers rights and labor conditions
in the global garment and sportswear industry.
Through
workshops held at secondary schools, the organizations aim to contrast the sporty
or trendy slogans of garment companies with the reality behind the images. The
students learn about the impact of globalization on labor rights and environmental
issues in the global garment and sportswear industry.
In 2002, ten Dutch
students went to Sri Lanka to find out about working conditions in the garment
industry. These students committed themselves to the project: they are now giving
workshops at schools to share their experiences with young people of their own
age.
"Fashion Files" Diary:
Edited Highlights These
highlights show how the students experienced at first-hand, the poor living and
working conditions of the Sri Lankan garment workers.
October 16th
We
visited the Dutch embassy in Sri Lanka to find out what they thought of the labor
conditions in garment factories, who they felt is responsible and what the role
of the embassy is. Their answer was quite unsatisfying and they denied direct
responsibility in the matter.
They told us that when they are aware of serious
problems in factories, it is their duty to inform Dutch investors about it. But
so far, according to the ambassador, "we have neither heard nor read about
those problems. Unions, NGO's and researchers don't inform us about such violations."
October 17th We visited our first factory, Timex Garments Ltd., Wattala, where
850 women work; the managers are mainly men. Garments are made for GAP, Liz Claiborne
and Marks & Spencer. This factory looks well organized, clean, is brightly
lit and well ventilated. Working space seems to be reasonably large, everyone
is wearing hair caps and workers at the cutting section are using protecting gloves
and have adjustable tables and chairs. Instructions are only in English, but it
is doubtful that all the workers can read English. The production process is highly
mechanized. We wanted to know if the buyers had made any demands regarding the
production process, which meant of course if any demands were stipulated concerning
labor conditions. The answers remained, however, restricted to product quality
and the destination of the fabric and accessories.
October 18th
Half
the group tried working in a factory at Sanik Garments, located in Homagama. This
is a small factory with three production lines of which one is a training line,
producing sportswear and outdoors garments. We were all positioned in different
sections and performed tasks varying from unrolling and ironing the fabric to
checking the final products for mistakes. Sanik was crowded, dark, warm and dusty;
no adjustable tables and seats; no protection for those who work with the cutting
machines but the atmosphere was much better than in the Timex factory. The workers
talked with each other and laughed a lot. They joked around during our whole visit.
But we don't know if this was caused by a lack of work or was a depiction of reality.
The second half of the group spent the day at CITI (Clothing Industry Training
Institute) in Ratmalana. CITI gets 2000 trainees per year and teaches 34 courses
- students learn how to become managers, merchandisers, apparel makers. It is
obvious that not everyone could afford a course at CITI as graduation is expensive.
That night, the NWC (National Workers Congress) organized a solidarity evening
for us. We danced and had dinner together, and this was a real chance to get to
know each other better. They gave us a very warm welcome.
October 19th
We
visited the NWC Friendship House located in Katunayake near the Katunayake Free
Trade Zone. The Friendship House is a meeting place for workers and where they
can get legal advice, become educated about their rights and labor laws, and take
a range of courses. This was our first opportunity to speak with the workers and
we learned from them that most workers come from remote areas. They live in boarding
houses near the Free Trade Zone under bad living conditions. They share a room
with four, sometimes even with six workers, so there is no privacy. They sleep
on the floor on mats. Cooking equipment and sanitary facilities have to be shared
with dozens of other workers. We spent the night at one of the boarding houses
in Katunayake. We prepared a dinner together with residents and danced till late
in the evening. Through the use of photo albums, sign language and the help of
translators who spoke English, we learned about each other's backgrounds and daily
lives.
October 20th
In the afternoon we were invited by the
Free Trade Zone Workers Union (FTZWU) to visit the women's centre in Katunayake
where a group of about thirty workers from the Biyagama Free Trade Zone was waiting
for us. The first Sri Lankan Free Trade Zone was formed in June 1978. There are
now three major FTZs in the country employing over 100,000 workers. After many
years spent trying to organize zone workers, the Free Trade Zone Workers Union
(FTZWU) was formed in January 2000. The FTZWU is registered as a union, but employers
are still refusing to recognize both the FTZWU and its factory branches. Since
its inception the FTZWU has set up eleven branches, of which six in the garment
industry. Only one of those has been legally recognized. Recognition for the remaining
FTZWU branches is being pursued through the courts and campaigns.
October
21st
We were deeply touched by what happened today. We visited the home
village of a FTZ worker. Mulanthi works in a garment factory in the Katunayake
Free Trade Zone and lives in a boarding house nearby. In her home village, we
met her family. Mulanthi left home to find work in the factory. Her older sister
left before her, which encouraged Mulanthi to go find work too. As her parents
are farmers, it is increasingly difficult to survive. The money earned in the
factory allows her to save a bit and send her younger sister and brothers to school.
Mulanthi's parents have already visited the boarding house where she lives. They
are sad that their daughter lives in such appalling conditions. They are not aware
of what happens at the factory as Mulanthi chooses to remain tight-lipped about
her work. It was here that the hard reality of women garment workers struck us
harder perhaps because of the poignant contrast with the silence and the beauty
of the surrounding area. It was a sharp contrast to the reality garment factory
women workers have to face in their daily lives as they are being exploited by
factory managers for the benefit of big companies and brand names while being
hardly aware of their rights. At that moment, the poor living conditions at the
boarding house where Mulanthi now lives became shocking.
October 23rd
On
the last day of our stay In Sri lanka, we went to the Free Trade Zone of Biyagama
to visit Gartex Industries. Biyagama FTZ has 65 factories and about 25.000 workers.
About 900 people work at Gartex. This factory looks crowded, is very warm (especially
in the cutting section which in not air-conditioned) dark (hardly any natural
light comes in) and noisy in the sewing section. An armed guard stands at the
door, but this does not seem unusual. It was very tense - we could see that workers
had to deal with a lot of stress to reach their targets on time. No union is allowed.
Conclusions
