Forum on Clean Clothes

From April 30th to May 5th 1998 the International Forum on Clean Clothes took place in Brussels. A jury of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal listened to 15 witnesses from all over the world, testifying on working conditions in the garments and sportswear industry. In their conclusions, the jury answered the questions posed to them by the Clean Clothes Campaign, especially concerning the legal aspects of the campaign. This has brought new perspectives for the campaigns, providing them with new tools to work towards improving working conditions in the garment and sportswear industry.

On this page you will find the main issues and the objectives or the Forum. The links gives you the Jury Report, the press-statement of the CCC, an overview of the companies and company profiles, and an article on the event, the companies and witnesses.

Forum on Clean Clothes: Main Issues

The main issues are:

1. freedom of association and collective bargaining
2. wages (compared with national/local averages and with a living wage) and other social benefits
3. health and safety
4. working hours
5. respect for the national social laws
6. child labour
7. discrimination
8. forced labour, prison labour

Forum on Clean Clothes: Objectives

First objective: To organise a forum for citizens focusing on the rights of workers. On 30 April about 1500 people are expected in Brussels at the inaugural Forum in the Palais des Congrès; almost 2000 people somewhat later on the same day at the party in La Madeleine, and 200 the following days at the sessions of the Tribunal. Special attention will be paid to the coverage of the event.

Second objective: To strengthen networks by enabling southern partners (about fifteen witnesses: workers, NGO members or unionists) to testify to their actual working and living conditions, and by giving them the opportunity to share their experience of actions in favour of the respect of Human Rights. these partners will come from different parts of the world such as Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, Morocco, Madagaskar, Haiti, Eastern Europe, El Salvador,...

Third objective: To go on negotiating with the companies while confronting them with workers' testimonies. We reject any manichean or accusatory approach.

Fourth objective: Obviously the Clean Clothes campaigns are founded on an ethical commitment in favour of Human Rights. But we would also like to buttress our approach with legal arguments. we have therefore appealed to the collaboration of the Tribunal Permanent des Peuples. The objective is to work out a legal approach at two levels:

• the consumer's right to be informed of the working conditions under which the clothes they buy are produced;
• the liability of the distributors and the clothing companies at every stage of the production.