Index

NEWSLETTER 21, May 2006 New Resources

This 95-page study was published by the Ethical Trading Group (ETAG) in Canada in December 2005. It assesses and compares 25 retailers and brands selling apparel in the Canadian market on the basis of:

> their programmes to achieve compliance with recognised international labour standards in the factories where their products are made, and

> the steps they are taking to communicate these efforts to the public.

The Transparency Report Card does not attempt to evaluate actual labour practices. Nor does it assess how companies' labour standards policies and compliance programs apply to their retail employees. The focus is exclusively on supply chains and based solely on information made public by the companies being researched. It is part of ETAG's campaign for greater transparency - our right to know how our clothes are made. A December 2005 postcard action, encouraging consumers to contact individual retailers based on their Report Card scores, accompanied the launch of the report.

Available at www.maquilasolidarity.org/campaigns/reportcard/index.htm

Made by Women: Gender, the Global Garment Industry and the Movement for Women Workers' Rights

Published by the CCC International Secretariat in December 2005, "Made by Women" includes feature articles on important themes relating to gender and labour rights. It also profiles seventeen women in different countries, deeply involved in the movement for garment workers' rights.

When the CCC came onto the scene in Europe in the early 1990s, one of the things motivating those mainly female activists was a desire to make people aware of the fact that almost universally it was women who were making our clothes under bad conditions, and that there were reasons for that. Through this publication, the CCC aims to refocus on this gender aspect, debate it and document case studies of initiatives that address it. It is aimed at those directly involved in the CCCs and their supporters and more extensively among other NGOs and trade unions, as well as those in the industry and the multistakeholder initiatives who are trying to address labour practices in the sector.

For a hard copy, contact: info@cleanclothes.org Also available at www.cleanclothes.org/publications/06-01- made_by_women.htm

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) in the UK has published six briefing papers based on presentations and discussions at the ETI biennial conference "Ethical Trade: Shaping a New Agenda" held in London, May 12-14, 2005. The aim is to provide new ideas and practical guidance to ethical trade practitioners struggling to address difficult challenges in code implementation.

The papers start with one on the problem of the "quick fix" approach to social audits and how to find lasting solutions that really make a difference to workers. The next seeks to highlight the potential benefits for sourcing companies of working with trade unions in supplier countries and provides practical guidance to retailers/brands/suppliers and trade unions on how to make the most of such partnerships. A third draws on the experience of two very different companies in developing supplier-level code management systems. The fourth looks at the issue of shifting production to new locations and its effects on workers. The fifth deals with how purchasing practices impact on working conditions. The final paper provides a summary of all five papers.

Available at: www.ethicaltrade.org/Z/lib/2005/05/eticonf/index.shtml#brief

The "Play Fair at the Olympics" campaign is one of the biggest ever mobilisations against abusive labour conditions. Hundreds of organisations and many top athletes have participated in over 35 countries, and more than half a million signatures were collected in support of the campaign prior to the Olympic Games in Athens. Over 500 local campaign events helped to win extensive coverage on television, radio and in the press all over the world. This CD-ROM, produced by the CCC International Secretariat, brings together photos, personal stories, campaign accounts, reports and evaluations. While not able to include all activities across the globe, it certainly gives a good idea of what went on!

The CD-ROM can be ordered from info@cleanclothes.org The contents are also available at: www.fairolympics.org

The Winter Olympics in Turin in February 2006, halfway between the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympics, was time to take stock of progress so far in relation to "From Athens to Beijing - A Programme of Work for the Sportswear Industry," which outlines the steps to improve conditions in the sector supported by the "Play Fair at the Olympics" campaign. This assessment from the CCC covers the steps taken by the International Olympics Committee, the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries, and the individual sportswear brands Asics, Fila, Kappa, Lotto, Mizuno, Puma, and Umbro, and therefore what the outstanding campaign demands on them are. It is a mixed bag of results, and there is clearly much more to do during the next two years leading up to the Games in Beijing.

Available at: www.cleanclothes.org/companies/06-01-30.htm

This reference CD-ROM, produced by the CCC in October 2005, presents an easy-to-read compilation of resources on codes of conduct. It provides links to materials developed by the CCC and others related to code content, implementation systems and mechanisms for verification. The guide also includes discussion on the usefulness of codes as a strategy for improving the implementation of international labour standards throughout supply chains and the primary challenges for the future. It focuses on CCC work undertaken to ensure that companies take responsibility for labour conditions at all levels of their production chains.

This guide is an essential tool for those newly active in the debate, helping the reader to identify and locate the materials they need. It will also help those more directly involved in research, (pilot) projects, campaigns or other activities, particularly in understanding the European and international dimension. As most of the materials draw on experiences in Europe, this guide does not claim to be comprehensive.

The CD-ROM can be ordered from info@cleanclothes.org The contents are also available at: www.cleanclothes.org/codes/index.htm

This CCC Primer, produced in November 2005 and focusing on the global apparel industry, provides background information on freedom of association and collective bargaining, particularly in the context of multi-stakeholder initiatives and codes of conduct. It highlights how freedom of association and collective bargaining are universal human rights. It details the international instruments where these standards are codified and how they are dealt with - both through International Labour Organization mechanisms and national legislation. It then gives brief explanations of key subjects relating to organising and collective bargaining and deals with how freedom of association and collective bargaining are treated in various code initiatives. In final sections, it raises key points for further consideration and cites sources for more information.

Available at: www.cleanclothes.org/codes/05-foa_primer.htm

This 576-page book brings together many of the principal international, regional and national instruments drafted by intergovernmental organisations or states, as well as codes of conduct formulated by industry associations, trade unions and non-governmental organisations. The coverage includes the fields of human rights, international criminal and environmental law, labour standards, international trade, armed conflict, sustainable development, corruption, consumer protection and corporate governance. Each legal document is briefly introduced by outlining its historical origins, principal actors involved, controversial negotiation issues and implementation procedure, along with further reference material. While most of these texts are available on-line, to have them accessible in a single volume might be useful for those who often work with codes of conduct. However, at £120 (€175), the volume is not cheap.

Edited by Stephen Tully, published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK, 2005. ISBN: 1843768194

This 48-page booklet, published by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for trade unionists in Ireland (North and South) explains what CSR is, what motivates the companies involved, and the various arguments about the extent to which it can be used to promote workers' rights and therefore how trade unionists relate to it. As ICTU General Secretary David Begg says, there is a need "to ensure it becomes more about genuine dialogue and not just management systems and checklists." This booklet provides a good overview for use not only by trade unionists and labour-rights activists in Ireland and the UK, but beyond.

Available at: www.ictuglobalsolidarity.org/uploads/CSR%20REPORT.pdf