African governments, under intense competition to attract
foreign investment, offer investors incentives such as duty-free
imports, tax breaks, and relaxed labour laws. Companies
have also been encouraged to set up there by the US Government's
African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) which gives
dutyfree access to the US market for goods produced in the
continent.
|
Photo: Workers at a
jeans factory in Lesotho.
|
As a result, Eastern and Southern Africa became very attractive
to the global garment industry at the beginning of this
century, especially for Taiwanese and other Asian producers
supplying international buyers. Operating virtually without
restrictions, they enjoy low costs and high production rates.
Yet they return little of their profits to their host African
countries through decent employment or government revenues.
Incentives for foreign investors may create some jobs. However,
since the phase-out of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA)
system of quotas, factories supplying international buyers
have increasingly been shutting down. Therefore if these
factories are here-today/gone-tomorrow, offer below subsistence
wages and unhealthy working conditions, and meanwhile displace
African domestic industry, the global garment industry will
bring no solutions to poverty in Africa.
On average, about 80% of garment workers in Eastern and
Southern Africa (except for Malawi and Zimbabwe) are women.
They face high exploitation, with poverty wages and forced
overtime in unhealthy workplaces, along with verbal, physical
and sexual abuse.
There is union success in some locations. However, unions
face restrictive labour legislation and many companies unwilling
to sign recognition agreements. Workers are often afraid
to join unions for fear of losing their jobs. There is also
a need for more skills development and equipment for union
organisers.
Support for African Garment Unions
In May 2005, the International Textile, Garment and Leather
Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) and the Amsterdam-based labour
research organisation SOMO (part of the Dutch CCC) held
a workshop in Swaziland focusing on conditions at Asian-owned
factories in Eastern and Southern Africa producing largely
for international retailers such as Wal-Mart. Participants
included shop stewards and union organisers from nine Eastern
and Southern African countries, as well as Taiwan, along
with labour researchers and campaigners from South Africa,
Kenya, Europe, the US, and Asia.
The workshop proved to be an excellent opportunity to exchange
information, develop collaboration and integrate these African
developments into global campaigns. Plans were developed
in particular for Asian organisations to help support their
African counterparts. Shop stewards produced repeated reports
of verbal and physical abuse of workers, forced overtime,
low wages and obstruction of union activity. The following
account of the Asian-owned Tri-Star factory in Tanzania
is one example of the information shared at this gathering.
Tri-Star in Africa
"On the invitation of the African government and
as a new venture of the Tri-Star Group I have started a
major operation in the African regions specially to take
advantage of the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA)
where there is no quota and duty restrictions for the exports
of garments to the USA and as a result to produce garments
for very attractive prices."
Deshabandu Kumar Dewapur, chairman of Tri-Star, Sri Lanka
(Quoted on www.lankae.com/lankae/yellowpages/Tristar/abroad.htm)
Tri-Star is a Sri Lankan garment company that closed a
number of its home country factories and shifted to Africa
in recent years, to benefit from investment incentives and
AGOA trade preferences with the US. However, here too it
has already closed down again when it suits, with little
regard for the impact on its workforce or the host countries'
economies.
In Kenya, the Apparels Tri-Star factory in the Athi River
Export Processing Zone, benefited from a ten-year tax holiday.
According to the Kenyan Human Rights Commission, workers
suffered from overcrowding, poor ventilation, insufficient
protective equipment, and sexual harassment. In August 2001
there was a strike, after which several workers were summarily
dismissed. Once the tax holiday was over, Tri-Star closed
its Kenyan operation.
In Uganda, Apparels Tri-Star started producing in 2002.
Here it continues to expand. It has a new joint venture
worth US$20 million with ISIS Pacific Capital Inc., a New
York-based textile and garment company, to set a spinning,
weaving and dying mill up at its facility at Bugolobi, Kampala.
In 2004, the ITGWLF filed a complaint to the ILO against
the Ugandan government for Tri- Star's failure to recognise
the Uganda Textiles, Garments, Leather and Allied Workers'
Union. At the end of 2005 management finally recognised
the union.
In Tanzania, the Tri-Star Group set up its Star Apparels
factory in 2003 in an export processing zone in Dar Es Salaam.
At its height, Star Apparels produced around 6,000 pieces
a day, mostly shorts, pants, and skirts for companies such
as Wal-Mart in the US.
Star Apparels' workforce, largely women, grew to 1,000
by the end of 2004. During a factory visit by a labour research
organisation, the factory had adequate light and ventilation,
workers' stations seemed comfortable, safety procedures
were posted, and facilities for meals and healthcare were
provided. The executive director told the researcher that
conditions were good because of stringent requirements from
buyers.
When it came to labour relations, however, the executive
director was less clear. "Trouble" had been "instigated
by trade unions" in Tri-Star operations in Kenya and
Uganda, he said. If his workers chose to become members,
he would be "open," though these proved to be
empty words.
By April 2005, Star Apparels was placed under receivership,
reportedly after failing to service its debts. A month later,
after less than two years of operations, it closed down.
In Tanzania: A Supervisor's Story
|
Photo: Edward Seynia
Makaranga was a supervisor and workers' representative
at Star Apparels, a Sri Lankan owned factory in Tanzania.
He shared his stories with participants at an ITGLWFSOMO
workshop in Swaziland, in May 2005. Useful Resources
on Organising in Africa
|
Edward Seynia Makaranga was a supervisor and workers' representative
at Star Apparels. His view is that Tri-Star cut and ran
because the Tanzanian workers got organised. Here he tells
how optimism for the future turned to bitter disappointment.
"I was one of the first people to be hired as a supervisor
at Tri- Star. That day I was very proud to get a job and
the future looked good..."
After six months had passed, management gave workers probation
contracts with a minimum wage of 48,000 Tanzanian Shillings
(US$47) for six months, promising that workers would receive
a wage increase and permanent job contracts after the six
months. It seemed strange at the time that management did
not allow any of the workers to read the probation contract's
contents and whoever tried to attempt reading the contracts
was told to leave the factory premises.
By the time the probation period had elapsed, the honeymoon
was over. Life in the factory was tough. Below are some
of the conditions that workers were forced to endure:
I did not like the things that were happening at the factory.
Fellow workers would come to talk with me about problems
because they knew I had a good relationship with management,
as a supervisor. But management never took the concerns
I raised seriously.
Management had refused to let the garment workers' union
in and so our consultation with the union was done in secret,
as we feared losing our jobs. On September 11, 2004, all
the workers gathered in the canteen during the tea break
to have discussions with the management in order to reduce
some unfair conditions in the factory. The employer became
very angry and ordered all workers to leave the company
premises.
We did not hesitate. We quickly called in the media. Reporters
and TV presenters came, giving us coverage on the television,
in the newspapers and even on radio stations. After a few
hours, all workers agreed to go home as the employer demanded.
The following day the workers found the gates closed and
[were told to] report to work after three days. When we
returned three days later, the Labour Commissioner Mr. Joggic
was there and said the workers should appoint their representative
to go and open the queries at the Ministry of Labour and
Youth. That was how I, Edward Seynia Makaranga, came to
represent the workers, together with 48 other representatives,
although soon after this we were all suspended by the employer.
We consulted the trade union and began organising workers
that were still employed at the factory. The trade union
was not allowed inside the factory and so we recruited and
held our meetings outside. After two months in suspension,
we found a letter on the desk of the labour officer saying
that we were fired.
Two months later, once the trade union began to pressurise
the factory in an attempt to protect our worker rights,
the factory was closed down. All the workers were out of
work with no notice and no compensation.
Life has been hard for all the workers that lost their
jobs from the closure… None of us had savings as we
did not really earn very well in our jobs. The workers that
were the sole providers for their families were the most
distressed… Our dreams of a better future had been
destroyed. We had been fooled by Tri- Star and many of us
felt worse off than before we started working at the factory.
I have been looking for other work but have not had much
luck. I am better off than others because my wife works,
but we have a small child and the little money my wife gets
is barely enough for us to survive on. But I do not regret
choosing the side of the union over management for, despite
management's attempts to win my loyalty, I would have lost
my job along with all the other workers when they closed
down. With the union, I at least did not betray my fellow
workers and we tried to protect workers from terrible exploitation
by Tri-Star."
Useful Resources on Organising in Africa
A series of four publications published by the ITGLWF,
specifically to assist garment workers' organising in Asian
multinationals in Africa is available online:
" Asian Multinationals in Africa: Information and
Strategy Guide " www.itglwf.org/pdf/booklet1.pdf
" Asian Multinationals in Africa: Developing Union
Strategy and Capacity " www.itglwf.org/pdf/booklet2.pdf
" A Story of Organising: A Shopfloor Workbook "
www.itglwf.org/pdf/booklet3.pdf
" Africa-Asia Labour Networking ," report
of the Swaziland workshop, May 2005 http://www.cleanclothes.org/ftp/05-Swaziland-report.pdf
