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NEWSLETTER 17, December 2003 MACEDONIA Advocacy
Group Helps Stop Garment Training Scheme Scam |
An advocacy group, bringing together community women leaders who are
committed to social change, has helped find a solution to the exploitation of
women garment workers in Delcevo, Macedonia. Most garment factories are
found in Eastern Macedonia and 80% of their workforce are women. Factory owners
in the region are able to use a special "training scheme", subsidized
by the government for a three month period, to expand their business. Many take
advantage of the scheme which provides money to finance training for workers and
at the end of the three month period, the employer is obliged to employ 90% of
the participants or return the subsidies received from the Employment Bureau and
financed by the World Bank.
Employers exploit the system
The
employers do not have to return the money if the participants (almost all of whom
are women) voluntarily decide not to sign labor contracts - and this is what happens.
When women start the training program they are given blank documents to sign and
these are used as "proof" that the women resigned at the end of the
training period.
The employers abuse the women's low awareness of their
rights and difficult financial situations. The women believe they simply have
no choice but to sign whatever they are given just to be able to work even for
a limited period of time.
Women without choice and protection
Nearly
500 women are employed on these "training programmes" in Develco and
Makedonska Kamenica, Macedonia. The women work under appalling conditions, working
overtime or 2 shifts a day without breaks. Pay rates are poor, there is no medical
or social insurance and there is no right to time off or to enhanced overtime
payments. The process of transition in Macedonia has resulted in structural economic
reforms and privatization which has led to widespread unemployment in Develco.
Women have little choice but to apply for this job training scheme and work in
these terrible conditions. Trade unions have not reorganized and still operate
under rigid and ineffective structures. They have no presence in privately owned
enterprises.
The Advocacy Group, Develco
The Advocacy Group
brings together women representatives from an NGO, a political party, the business
sector, the media and local government. Each brings a different perspective but
all are committed to social change and, most importantly, work as a team. In 11
months, the advocacy group organized 11 workshops for 300 women in the region
and informed them of their rights on the training program and raised awareness
of labour protection available to them when working in the garment factories.
In addition, a coordinating body, with representatives which included local government,
the Develco Employment Bureau, labor inspectors, trade unions, public prosecutors,
representatives of the health and social security fund, the pension fund, the
local court and the employers, met three times. The members identified how to
work together and share information on protecting workers.
Public tribunal
and media attention
On September 27th, 2002 the Advocacy Group also
organised a public tribunal and presented the scale of the problem to the wider
community, together with the work of the group, their findings and results. By
doing this, the group aimed to build public pressure on the institutions by educating
the community and to further raise awareness of the employers and employees. Other
activities organized around the issue included regular local TV coverage and widespread
poster and leaflet distribution under the slogan, "Women have rights at work".
Successes
of the campaign
As a result of all this work, more restrictive conditions
for the employers have been introduced. Now, if the employer does not employ 90%
of the participants on the training program they have to return the money and
pay interest on the money received.
At the local level
