Why isn't there a Clean Clothes Campaign label?
We can only put a label on a garment if we are 100% sure that the
garment or shoe is made in good working conditions. Before we can
start labelling, we first need to be sure that the company concerned
has all the labour standards included in their code, that they are
implemented in way that benefits workers, and that there is a credible
organisation, which is not controlled by the company itself which
verifies if this is really happening. Only then can we 'label' a
company as producing Clean Clothes, and even then it will be complex
to put a label on a garment claiming its 100% clean. CCC believes
it will be more correct to state that company is giving a guarantee
that their member companies are doing everything in their influence
to ensure that their code of conduct is respected by their suppliers,
and actively cooperate with TUs and NGOs at the local and international
level to achieve this. This is progress, and member companies can
therefore be put on a list of more progressive companies, and such
a 'white list' gives the consumer an indication. But the Fair Wear
Foundation and similar initiatives have to be careful not to promise
what they will not deliver. The because the labour situation in
a workplace can change overnight: tomorrow there can be a fire,
a strike, a worker can get sexually harassed... and it will take
time before this problem is communicated, investigated, and solved.
In the meantime the idea is that companies do not cut and run from
these suppliers but use their leverage to improve the situation.
Meanwhile however they know that the problem exists… and therefore
that the clothes are not clean. Their job though is to stay, and
to solve the problem.
But it's also wrong to assume that governments have absolutely
no control over foreign investments. And not all companies pack
up and leave at the first signs of government regulations. So
it is valuable to encourage governments to pressure companies
to take responsibility for their labour policies and ensure their
compliance. But it's also true that a government's power against
(large) companies is limited. Bad working conditions are an international
problem that will not be solved on a national level alone.
|
