Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
that physical punishment and illegal terminaion— commitment. To date, Gap has refused to make
especially of pregnant women who were also a contractual commitment to work with their
denied maternity beneits—were normal suppliers and local and internaional trade unions
occurrences (IGLHR 2013). to ensure that repairs are made and workers have
the right to refuse dangerous work.
Working condiions like those reported in Next
Collecions are far from isolated incidents. Gap Due in no small part to this egregious refusal to
lags far behind other brands in their commitments join the Accord, in 2014 Gap earned the Public
to decent work and safe workplaces. For instance, Eye Jury Award from the Berne Declaraion and
more than 200 brands signed the legally binding Greenpeace Switzerland—an award that aims
Accord on Fire and Building Safety following the to shine a light on the current and most serious
collapse of the Rana Plaza Building in Bangladesh, cases of human rights violaions and disregard for
killing 1,127 workers. Instead of signing the environmental protecion and sustainability (CCC
Accord, Gap together with Walmart, founded the 2014a).
Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. Unlike
the legally binding Accord on Fire and Building Gap currently operates 3,300 stores and employs
Safety, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety more than 150,000 employees across their
is a voluntary measure rather than a contractual global producion network. (ILO 2014; Donaldson
Campaigners on Oxford Street, London call on Gap to ensure beter safety in their Bangladeshi factories.
To date, Gap has refused to make a contractual commitment to work with their suppliers to ensure that
repairs are made.
by Trade Union Congress licensed under CC 2.0. jpg
Gap 5th Avenue, New York
by Ingbruno licensed under CC3.0
In March 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama garment workers in overseas producion hubs.
made headlines by ceremoniously shopping Although Gap has also publicly announced a
at a Gap store on East 42nd and Third Avenue. commitment to set humane working condiions,
Obama’s decision to visit the store followed an just months before Gap announced an increase
announcement by Gap that they would raise in wages for U.S. workers, the Insitute for Global
minimum wages for U.S. workers to USD 10 per Labour and Human Rights exposed sweatshop
hour by 2015. Gap’s decision to raise minimum condiions in Gap supplier factory run by the
hourly wages broke with U.S. retailers and Ha-Meem Group in Bangladesh—where together
business groups that urged lawmakers to maintain Gap and Old Navy account for 70% of producion
the federal minimum wage at USD 7.25 an hour (Boyer 2014). The 3,750-worker Next Collecions
(Banjo 2014). factory in Ashulia, Bangladesh, on the outskirts
of Dhaka, rouinely forced workers into 14-17
Gap—the parent company of Gap, Banana hour shits, seven days a week amouning to
Republic and Old Navy—has commited to raising workweeks of over 100 hours. Workers were paid
wages for U.S. workers but this commitment poverty level wages: just USD .20 - .24 per hour.
does not extend to establishing living wages for Workers in the Next Collecions factory reported
6 7
traceability provisions. 4. Convene research to inform ILO global supply 5. Organize a Triparite Conference on the
1.2.4. Speciic provisions that address the chain programming, including: adverse impact of contracing and purchasing
special vulnerability of migrant workers in 4.1. Research on adverse impacts of TNC pracices upon migrant workers rights. This
GVCs. purchasing pracices upon conference should focus on:
1.2.5. Speciic provisions that address the 4.1.1. Core labour standards for all 5.1. Protecion of migrant rights as conferred
special vulnerability of women workers in categories of workers across value chains. under the UN Internaional Convenion on the
GVCs. 4.1.2. Wages and beneits for all categories Protecion of the Rights of all Migrant Workers
1.2.6. Limits on the use of temporary, of value chain workers. This research should and Members of their Families.
outsourced, self-employed, or other forms aim to saisfy basic needs of workers and 5.2. The intersecion of migrant rights and ILO
of contract labor that limit employer their families. iniiaives to promote Decent Work in Global
liability for worker protecions. 4.1.3. Access to fundamental rights to food, Supply Chains.
housing, and educaion for all categories of
value chain workers and their families.
2. Pursue a Recommendaion on human rights 4.2. Research into the range of global actors
due diligence that takes into account and builds that may have leverage over GVCs including
upon exising due diligence provisions that are investors, hedge funds, pension funds and GVC
evolving under the United Naions Guiding networks that deine industry standards such as
Principles on Business and Human Rights and Free on Board (FOB) prices.
the 2011 OECD Guidelines for Mulinaional 4.3. Research into the types of technical
Enterprises. advice needed by OECD government
paricipants taking a muli-stakeholder
3. Take the following complementary measures approach to address risks of adverse impacts
to protect workers employed in global value associated with products.
chains: 4.4. Research into mechanisms deployed
3.1. Recognize the right to living wage as a by authoritaive actors within GVCs that
human right and establish living wage criteria contribute to violaions of fundamental
and mechanisms. principles and rights at work, including but not
3.2. Promote sector-based and transnaional limited to atacks on freedom of associaion,
collecive bargaining and urge countries to collecive bargaining, forced overime, wage
remove naional legal barriers to these forms of thet and forced labour.
collecive acion. 4.5. Since women represent the greatest
3.3. Expand work towards the eliminaion majority of garment workers, the situaion
of forced labour, including promoing of women should be urgently included in
raiicaion and implementaion of the Forced monitoring programmes to assess the spectrum
Labour Convenion, 1930 (No. 29), Protocol of their clinical, social and personal risks.
to the Forced Labour Convenion 1930 and 4.6. Require an urgent, epidemiological study
accompanying Recommendaion, 2014. into deaths and disabiliies resuling from
3.4. Coninue programs to ensure social condiions of work and life of garment workers.
protecion, fair wages and health and safety at This informaion should be made available
every level of GVCs. publicly and to internaional agencies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 10 11 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
This report is one in of a series of reports, Center for Alliance of Labor & Human Rights AFWA Asia Floor Wage Alliance
enitled Workers Voices from the Global Supply (CENTRAL) in Cambodia. AFWA-C Asia Floor Wage Cambodia
Chain: A Report to the ILO 2016. Invesigaion of
AFWA-I Asia Floor Wage Indonesia
producion condiions in Gap factories in India This report was edited by Anannya Bhatacharjee.
and Indonesia was coordinated by the Society for Recommendaions for the ILO at the Internaional CCAWDU Coaliion of Cambodian Apparel Workers
Labour and Development (SLD). Labour Conference, 2016 were formulated by a Democraic Union
group of organizaions, including the internaional
CCC Clean Clothes Campaign
Desk research and wriing was completed by Asia Floor Wage Alliance, Jobs with Jusice (USA),
Ananya Basu and Shikha Silliman Bhatacharjee, Naional Guestworkers Alliance (USA), and Society CENTRAL Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights
JD. Data analysis was conducted by Ananya Basu for Labour and Development (India). GMAC Garment Manufacturers Associaion in Cambodia
and Vismay Basu. Primary data collecion was
HRW Human Rights Watch
undertaken by Syarif Ariin, Lembaga Informasi We extend graitude to the workers who shared
Perburuhan Sedane (LIPS), in Bogor Indonesia; their ime, experience and materials for the ILC Internaional Labour Conference
Vismay Basu, Delhi-NCR based Society for Labour purpose of this study. ILO Internaional Labour Organizaion
and Development (SLD) in India; and Joel Preston,
ILRF Internaional Labour Rights Forum
MLVT Ministry of Labour and Vocaional Training
NCEUS Naional Commission on Enterprises in the
Unorganized Sector
FIGURES NCR Naional Capital Region
Figure 1: Basic needs included in Asia Floor Wage calculaions SLD Society for Labour and Development
Figure 2: Asia Floor Wage calculaions consider inancial dependents and corresponding TATA Texiles and Apparel Trade Agreement
responsibility of workers
TCLF Texile, Clothing, Leather and Footwear
Figure 3: Progressive increase in Cambodian minimum wages, 2012-2016
USAS United Students Against Sweatshops
WRC Worker Rights Consorium
TABLES
Analysis of structured interviews aimed to idenify names of paricular producion units have been
violaions of rights at work protected under withheld.
Internaional Labour Organizaion standards,
naional laws and the Gap Code of Vendor In total, we interviewed 100 workers engaged in
Conduct. producing Gap garments within Indonesia and
surrounding areas.
These indings have been situated in context
of the global garment producion networks Table 2: Overview of study respondents in
and previous research on Gap supply chains. Indonesia
Secondary sources included reports on producion
condiions in the garment industry, academic Supplier No. of respondents
aricles and newspaper reports. Panca Prima 30
Putra Pilar Sejai 30
India Sandraine
Tainan Enterprises
20
20
In India, research included invesigaion Indonesia
of working condiions in four Gap supplier Total: 100
companies (Table 2). In order to protect the
idenity of workers interviewed for this study, in
some cases the names of paricular producion
Documening rights violaions in Gap factories is paricularly challenging because Gap refuses to disclose
units have been withheld. In total, we interviewed
basic informaion about its suppliers.
50 workers engaged in producing Gap garments
Asia Floor Wage Alliance
within the Delhi, Naional Capital Region (NCR).
This report is based upon 150 structured supplier factories, including 4 supplier factories Table 1: Overview of study respondents in Delhi-
interviews conducted between August and in Indonesia and 4 supplier factories in the Delhi- NCR, India
October 2015 with garment workers in Phnom NCR, India. Supplier No. of respondents
Penh, Cambodia; Bogor, Indonesia; and the Delhi, Orient Crat 20
Naional Capital Region (NCR), India. Structured Interviews lasted between 30 and 65 minutes. All
Pearl Global 12
interviews were conducted by Sedane Labour worker interviews were conducted in person with
Resource Centre/Lembaga Informasi Perburuhan full consent from workers. Interviews took place in
Sedane (LIPS) in Indonesia and the Delhi-based workers’ residences, ater working hours or during Pyoginam 8
Society for Labour and Development (SLD) in ime of. In order to protect the idenity of workers Tets N Rai 10
India. Invesigaive ieldwork was conducted who paricipated in this study, all individual names Total: 50
in Cambodia by Center for Alliance of Labor & have been changed. To ensure that workers
Indonesia
Human Rights (CENTRAL). This informaion was cannot be ideniied based upon idenifying case
contextualized through further interviews with informaion, factories are referenced by company
workers and trade union acivists. name but in some cases locaions of paricular
producion units have been removed. In India, In Indonesia, research included invesigaion of
New empirical indings on working condiions interviews were conducted in Hindi. In Indonesia, working condiions in 4 Gap supplier companies
Interviews with workers were conducted at worker housing colonies such as this one in Gurgaon, India.
in Gap factories are based upon data collecion interviews were conducted in Bahasa. (Table 2). In order to protect the idenity of
Society for Labour and Development
and analysis of working condiions in 8 Gap workers interviewed for this study, in some cases,
14 15
According to this model, the structure of garment subcontracts. Unauthorized subcontractors downward pressure on the prices paid to suppliers through the use of lexible job
value chains can be divided into ive main may also be unregistered and therefore combined with increasingly unpredictable
segments: outside the purview of government regulaion. and extreme seasonal variaion in producion, contracts, unemployment due
Due to diminished government and brand together, require garment suppliers to reduce to luctuations in production
• Segment 1: raw material supply, including accountability—especially among unregistered producion costs. Contract workers cost less to
natural and syntheic ibers; suppliers, working condiions among garment employ per unit because they oten receive lower and downward pressure on
• Segment 2: component supply, including yarn subcontractors have been found to deteriorate wages and rarely receive non-wage beneits, wages.
and fabrics; (Kashyap 2015). Within this structure, employers including paid leave and social security beneits.
• Segment 3: producion networks, including and workers engaged in assembly operaions, These terms of employment leave contract Due to the structure of garment value chains,
domesic and overseas subcontractors; including primary sitching and embellishment, workers paricularly vulnerable to exploitaion, workers bear the brunt of global uncertainies
• Segment 4: export channels established by have comparaively litle negoiaing power with poorer working condiions and a higher within the industry. Industrial uncertainty caused
trade intermediaries; (Ghosh 2015). risk of serious abuse when compared to directly by buyer purchasing pracices is displaced upon
• Segment 5: markeing networks at the retail employed workers (Chan 2013). workers through the use of lexible job contracts,
level. (Ghosh 2015) unemployment due to luctuaions in producion
Rise in employment of
Industrial uncertainty caused and downward pressure on wages. Obstacles to
Firms that control design, branding and markeing contract workers has freedom of associaion and collecive bargaining
(segment 5) also control sourcing decisions. been attributed to buyer by buyer purchasing practices further undermine workers’ negoiaion power.
Producion costs are one signiicant factor in is displaced upon workers
determining sourcing preferences. Decisions purchasing practices:
regarding how value addiion aciviies and proits downward pressure on Indonesian workers rally for decent work
are distributed along the value chain, in turn, have by AFWA
a signiicant impact upon employers, workers and the prices paid to suppliers
markets in producing countries. Proit generaion combined with increasingly
by capitalizing upon price diferenials between
markets has been referred to as “global labour
unpredictable and extreme
arbitrage”(Roach 2004). seasonal variation in
Assembly (segment 3) is typically separated
production, together, require
organizaionally and geographically from other garment suppliers to reduce
value generaing aspects of the value chain. production costs.
Product suppliers and their workers (segment 3)
depend upon orders from markeing networks, Since 2010, garment brand and retail members
irms and brands (segment 5). Tier 1 companies of the UK Ethical Trading Iniiaive (ETI) have
holding primary contracts with brands oten reported an increasing reliance on contract labour
subcontract producion to smaller suppliers. At within garment value chains, marked by a growth
this level of the value chain, Tier 1 companies in the proporion of the workforce that consists
compete for contracts with buyers. In a parallel of contract workers. Contract work is paricularly
process, subcontractors compete for contracts widespread in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and
with Tier 1 companies (Ghosh 2015). Turkey. These trends have been associated with
the onset of the global inancial crisis in 2007-
Brands typically draw a disincion between 2008. Rise in employment of contract workers has
their liability for authorized and unauthorized been atributed to buyer purchasing pracices:
18 19
Brand and retail codes of conduct establishing Gap outlines its principles and standards of work
social and environmental principles have in two documents, the Gap Human Rights Policy, a
developed in response to ani-sweatshop and broad framework containing principles governing
consumer-driven accountability movements in Gap work spaces and employment relaionships;
Europe and the United States. In some cases, and the Code of Vendor Conduct, that establishes
these codes of conduct have been developed standards that supplier factories need to meet
through muli-stakeholder iniiaives, including in order to work with Gap. According to the Gap
corporate, non-governmental organizaion, trade Human Rights Policy, these principles are binding
union, state and academic representaives (Barria for all direct employees and global suppliers.
2014).
The Gap Code of Vendor Conduct details model
Gap has commited to several iniiaives for guideline for business with suppliers across
improving the lives of employees worldwide. Their coninents. As a rule, Gap claims to engage
public commitment to promoing decent work in business with only suppliers that are in
has been announced in the Gap Code of Conduct, compliance with all guidelines outlined in the
Part 2
Overview of Gap iniiaives to promote
Gap Human Rights Policy, Alliance for Bangladesh
Worker Safety and partnerships with the ILO
and other industry stakeholders. While codes of
conduct and other measures described in this
report consitute declaraions of intent they do
document. Suppliers are also explicitly required
to invest in building monitoring systems that
facilitate assessment of sourcing factories. The
document also spells out requirements for decent
working condiions that must be followed by
not generate binding legal obligaions. suppliers and applied to all workers, including
those hired on contracts. Further analysis of the
decent work This secion reviews Gap’s public commitments Code of Conduct and enforcement of the same
to promoing decent work in their supply chains. informs the secion on rights violaion.
Where possible, it includes discussions and
research on the eicacy of these iniiaives to
date.
Gap support for
California Transparency
GAP Principles and
in Supply Chains Act
Standards of Work
In January 2012, Gap supported the California
Our team talks extensively with workers at Transparency in Supply Chains Act. The Act seeks
factories where our clothes are made, and we to abolish child, bonded labour and human
follow up on the issues we ind. We focus much traicking in global supply chains. It requires
of our ime on complex issues such as tackling companies to publicly disclose the steps they are
the use of unauthorized subcontracing, ire taking to idenify and eradicate forced labour in
and safety issues inside factories, freedom of their supply chains.
associaion and excessive overime. –Gap 2016
To uphold the clauses in the Act, Gap has publicly
declared stringent monitoring mechanisms,
20 21
including periodic social audits and review into the product comply with laws regarding • Based upon a 2016 search, no monitoring We remain commited to the principle that
processes for each of their sourcing factories slavery and human traicking in the country of reports have been released for 2013, 2014 or wages for a standard working week should
aimed at ensuring the absence of traicking and business. Finally, Gap claims to provide training to 2015. meet the basic needs of factory workers and
bonded labour. employees and management with responsibility • Monitoring is conducted by an internal set of provide them with discreionary income. Our
for supply chain management (Gap 2016a). Social Responsibility Specialists hired by Gap. approach to wages is aligned with internaional
Gap has outlined several steps designed to This monitoring structure does not produce legal standards set by the ILO and in accordance
protect contract workers. These include locally- This approach has signiicant shortcomings: external evaluaions. with the ETI’s Base Code, as well as with SAI’s
hired Social Responsibility Specialists tasked • Monitoring reports are impossible to verify principles (CCC 2014).
with monitoring Gap commitments to decent • Monitoring year-round factories neither since Gap does not disclose factory locaions
work for contract workers. According to Gap accounts for working condiions for contract or paricular violaions disaggregated by Gap has not, however, released a formula or
reports accessed in 2016, in 2012, the team workers in factories that do not produce year factory. methodology for determining living wage rates.
monitored more than 923 acive, full-year round nor for producion units that receive
factories, allegedly through announced and subcontracts from Gap full ime factories. Filling this conceptual Gap, the Asia Floor Wage
unannounced audits—96.4 percent of the acive, Given the structure of the garment global Alliance (AFWA), a global coaliion of trade unions,
full-year garment factories produce Gap Inc. value chain, these types of producion Wage standards workers’ rights and human rights organizaions,
branded apparel. Gap also claims to require processes are both highly signiicant and also provides a detailed formula for calculaing living
that vendors cerify that materials incorporated the site of the most signiicant rights abuses. In a survey conducted by the Clean Clothes wages across naional contexts. The AFWA
Campaign, Gap declared that their concepion of deiniion of a living wage speciies that living
Figure 1: Basic needs included in Asia Floor Wage calculaions a living wage varies from the standard deiniion wage calculaions must include support for all
used globally. family members, basic nutriional needs of a
worker and other basic needs, including housing,
Figure 2: Asia Floor Wage calculaions consider inancial dependents and corresponding responsibility of
workers
22 23
Based upon these assumpions, the Asia Floor The AFW wage calculaion method provides an
Wage is calculated in Purchasing Power Parity $ instrucive model for Gap and other brands in
(PPP$). This iciious World Bank currency is built seing living wages that correspond to workers
upon consumpion of goods and services, allowing needs and consider rising costs of living.
standard of living between countries to be
compared regardless of the naional currency. In
order to calculate annual Asia Floor Wage igures,
the AFWA carries out regular and ongoing food Iniiaives on working
basket research (AFWA 2016a).
condiions
Accouning for high inlaion, Asia Floor Wage Garment workers in India protest against Gap for unfair labour pracices.
Gap has partnered with Verite, a U.S. based non-
igures are calculated annually. As explained by Society for Labour and Development
governmental organizaion with the ariculated
AFWA Coordinator, Anannya Bhatacharjee:
objecive of improving working condiions. This working condiions that may have stemmed The espoused aims of these iniiaves, however,
iniiaive claims to measure and improve how from decisions at headquarters; are in stark contrast to Gap responses to worker-
The gap between the minimum wage and the
much workers feel valued and engaged at work. meeing regularly with strategic and led iniiaitves to engage the brand in improving
cost of living has widened in recent years. High •
The collaboraion allegedly aims to focus on low-performing vendors to assess their working condiions. For instance, Gap was invited
inlaion has sent the cost of living soaring in
workers and their voices in order to improve their performance against Gap’s Code of Vendor to engage with workers at the People’s Tribunal on
many Asian countries, but staring salaries
experience of work. Conduct and discuss how the iming and Living Wage as a fundmantal right of Sri Lankan
remain unchanged—oten for several years.
(Pasariello 2013) planning of Gap’s orders are afecing their garment workers, held from March 17-28, 2011 in
With similar claims to atending to workers’ workers; Colombo; Cambodian garment workers, held from
needs, in 2011, Gap Inc. created a Brand • training all new hires in inventory February 5-8, 2012 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia;
AFW annual PPP$ wage igures are therefore
Integraion and Vendor Performance project team. management, merchandising, producion, and Indian garment workers, held from November
calculated annually based upon up to date
Gap declared that the eforts would be directed sourcing on the importance of responsible 22-25, 2012 in Bangalore; and Indonesian garment
naional food basket research. For instance,
towards gathering data on vendors for efecing purchasing pracices; and workers, held from June 21-24, 2014 in Jakarta.
the 2015 Asia Floor Wage igure is PPP$ 1021.
change at the level of management in the supplier • highlighing case studies and tools to ensure Gap denied invitaions to engage with workers
These wage igures are then converted into local
factories. Stated iniiaives include: that factory orders are made with a full at each of these tribunals, despite being noiied
currency (Table 3)(AFWA 2016b).
understanding of their potenial impact on of persistent rights violaions in their supplier
• meeing with leaders in the Gap Inc. Sourcing workers. factories (Butler 2012; Barria 2014).
Department to examine any issues related to
24 25
Part 3
Asian garment value chains
Export Value of top
10 Asians
86.06 103.59
Cambodia At the time of writing, The US, EU, Canada and Japan are the largest
importers of Cambodian garments, texiles and
operaions, ranging from export licensed factories
with up to 8,000 workers to small, unmarked
top brands sourcing from shoes (Kashyap 2015). At the ime of wriing, top factories employing fewer than 100 workers.
Cambodia entered the export-oriented global brands sourcing from Cambodia included H&M, These smaller factories largely ill subcontracts
garment and texile industry in the 1990s with the
Cambodia include H&M, GAP,
GAP, Levi Strauss & Co., Adidas and Target (CCC for larger suppliers. Outsourcing of producion
passage of the 1993 Consituion of the Kingdom Levi Strauss & Co., Adidas 2016a). to smaller factories may be either authorized or
of Cambodia which established a free market in and Target (CCC 2016a). unauthorized by apparel brands (Kashyap 2015).
Cambodia (CCC 2016a; CCHR 2014). Between The Cambodian garment industry is largely
1995 and 2006, bilateral trade agreements with Today, garment and texile exports are criical foreign-owned, with Cambodians owning
the United States, the European Union and less than 10% of factories (Kashyap 2015). An
Women between the ages
to the Cambodian economy. In 2013, garments
Canada spurred growth in the garment industry. accounted for 13% of the Cambodian GDP (CCC esimated 85% of garment factories located in of 18 and 35 dominate
With the excepion of a downturn in 2008 during 2016a). Cambodian global exports amounted to Cambodia are foreign controlled, predominantly
the global economic crisis, the industry has show the Cambodian garment
roughly USD 6.48 billion, of which garment and by investors from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia,
consistent growth (Kashyap 2015). Between 1995 texile exports accounted for USD 4.96 billon. By Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan (Kashyap production sector, comprising
and 2014, the sector grew 200-fold (ILO 2015). 2015; CCC 2016). Foreign owned companies have
2014, garment exports totaled USD 5.7 billion. an estimated 90-95% of the
Women dominate the Cambodian garment producion sector, comprising an esimated 90-92% of the kept the producion processes within Cambodia
limited. The majority of factories undertake “cut- industry’s estimated 700,000
industry’s 700,000 workers.
Cambodian garment workers, exact locaion undisclosed, by Asia Floor Wage Alliance. make-trim” producion funcions—manufacturing workers
clothes from imported texiles based upon designs
provided by internaional buyers. This exclusive Women between the ages of 18 and 35 dominate
focus on producing garments circumscribes the the Cambodian garment producion sector,
range of employment available to irms and comprising an esimated 90-95% of the industry’s
workers in Cambodia (Ghosh 2015). esimated 700,000 workers (Barria 2014; Kashyap
2015). These numbers do not, however, include
Phnom Penh is a hub for garment factories. women engaged in seasonal, home-based
However, garment producion has expanded garment work (Finster 2015; Kashyap 2015).
to other areas, including the adjoining Kandal
province. In these areas, factories vary in size and
Cambodian garment workers
were found to intake an
average of 1598 calories
per day, around half the
recommended amount for
a woman working in an
industrial context
The garment industry has been a major source
of employment for young women from rural
areas who migrate for employment to garment
producion hubs (McMullen 2013). In a February
32 33
2012 hearing before the Permanent People’s minimum wage of USD 66 in November 2011 is transparency in BFC monitoring and reporing.
Tribunal held in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Asia the result of signiicant wage protests in recent In March 2014, BFC launched a Transparency
Floor Wage Alliance-Cambodia (AFWA-C) reported years that succeeded in gaining progressive Database that publicly names 10 low compliance
that these internal migrants work far from their minimum wage increases between 2011 and factories every three months.
families and communiies and are thereby cut of 2015 (Figure 3). Wages are also increased through
from tradiional support networks. Despite their the addiion of bonuses, including transport, Brands can paricipate in BFC by endorsing BFC,
numerical majority within the garment sector, atendance, health and seniority bonuses purchasing monitoring reports, employing BFC
they remain within low skill level employment and (McMullen 2016). Current minimum wages, training and advisory services and joining the BFC
rarely reach leadership posiions in their unions however, sill fall short of the USD 177 per month buyers forum—a plaform that brings together
(Barria 2014). called for by garment workers and unions. buyers, government authoriies, factories and
Figure 3: Progressive increase in Cambodian unions to discuss key concerns and possible ways
Malnutriion is also prevalent among Cambodian minimum wages, 2012-2016 Beter Factories Cambodia forward.
garment workers. Data gathered by tracking
monthly food purchases by 95 workers employed Irrespecive of their size. Provisions of the 1997 In 1999, Cambodia signed the Texiles and BFC has been upheld as a model for the IFC-ILO
in a range of garment factories in Cambodia, law regulate working condiions in factories, Apparel Trade Agreement (TATA) with the United Beter Work Programme that operates in other
compared with recommended amounts and including protecion against discriminaion, States, under which the United States imposed garment producing countries, including Vietnam,
workers’ Body Mass Index (BMI), revealed that wages, overime work, minimum age, pregnancy quotas to imports from Cambodia. Under TATA, Indonesia, Bangladesha and Haii. Although BFC
workers were found to intake an average of 1598 enitlements, leave and occupaional health and Cambodia’s import quotes were to be increased monitors some subcontractors that supply to
calories per day, around half the recommended safety standards. The Labour Ministry has also annually in exchange for a gradual improvement export licensed factories, mandatory monitoring
amount for a woman working in an industrial issued model internal factory regulaions. Despite in working condiions in the factories, in is limited to export-oriented factories (Kashyap
context (McMullen 2013). these protecive measures, enforcement of these compliance with domesic and internaional 2015).
standards is weak. This is due in part to ineicient labour laws and standards. In 2001, in order to
Sexual harassment is a signiicant concern labour inspecions, corrupion and rapid monitor compliance with TATA, the Internaional Garment Manufacturers
for women workers but due to lack of legal expansion of the number of factories in Cambodia Labour Organizaion (ILO) created Beter Factories Associaion in Cambodia
awareness, women rarely if ever seek access to (Kashyap 2015). Cambodia (BFC). BFC, a third-party monitor, is
jusice in cases of abuse (Barria 2014). tasked with monitoring factories with an export In 1999, the Garment Manufacturers Associaion
A 2011 government regulaion outlines a set of license. Although TATA expired in 2004, the BFC in Cambodia (GMAC) was established with the
Labour protecions permission and noiicaions for suppliers engaged coninues to monitor compliance with labour expressed purpose of increasing collaboraion
in subcontracing. The government also set up an laws and standards within the garment industry. between all stakeholders, including the
Aricle 36 of the 1993 Consituion of Cambodia inter-ministerial commission comprising members Paricipaion in the BFC monitoring programme Cambodian government, to create a beter
provides for basic labour rights, including the right drawn from Labour, Commerce and Interior is required in order to hold a government export business environment. GMAC was oicially
to freely chose employment, equal pay for equal Ministeries to trace unregistered subcontractor license (CCHR 2014). According to January 2015 registered with the Ministry of Social Afairs,
work, recogniion of household work, the right factories and ensure labour compliance. Under data, BFC monitors 536 garment and 12 footwear Labour, Veteran and Youth Afairs as an employer
to obtain social security and other social beneits these guidelines, factories with export licenses factories (Kashyap 2015). organizaion. In 2014, GMAC members included
and the right to form and to be members of trade subcontracing to unregistered factories can face 593 diferent garment and footwear factories
unions. temporary suspension of their export licenses and BFC publishes an overview of working condiions operaing across Cambodia. In pracice,
repeat ofenders may have their licenses evoked within factories through synthesis reports. GMAC acts as a powerful lobby for garment
The Cambodian Labour Ministry is responsible (Kashyap 2015). Factory-level monitoring reports are made manufacturers to inluence the Cambodian
for establishing policy standards and engaging in available to factories free of cost and internaional government to implement business friendly
monitoring and compliance. The 1997 Cambodian In October 2015, the Cambodian government brands for a cost. Third paries, including labour policies and legislaion (CCHR 2015).
Labour Law governs all garment factories. announced a revised minimum wage of USD unions and NGOs are unable to access monitoring
140 per month. This marked increase from the reports unless the factory authorizes access.
Labour rights groups have called for greater
34 35
moreover, can now be established without and Australia that is then spun in Indonesia and a dedicated industrial estate planned on its are restricted and only labour union forums are
workers’ input as previously required under the either exported as yarn or further processed into northern coast. In order to promote the industry, allowed.
principle act (Bhatacharjee 2016). cloth and garments (GBG 2016). The principle the Economic Ministry is overseeing policy
buyers of yarn from Indonesia are China and changes to promote special economic zones, new Labour unions in Indonesia have rejected PP78 on
Japan. Indonesia sources the majority of fabric tax holidays, lower nighime electricity costs, and the grounds that it facilitates lexible employment,
Indonesia used in garment producion from China and incenives to buy new machinery (GBG 2016). insitutes a minimum wage formula that erases
South Korea (CCC 2015a). This integrated texile workers’ needs and eliminates the opportunity
Encompassing producion of fabric, apparel and manufacturing base is a draw for brands and According to the Beter Work Indonesia Report, to negoiate before the Minimum Wage Council.
leather goods, the Indonesian texile and clothing investors (GBG 2016). 2013, garment, texile and footwear industries In protest, labour unions held demonstraions
industry accounted for almost 2% of naional have very low levels of compliance with ILO and strikes in front of administraive centers and
GDP and more than 7% of the total exports in In 2014, the Indonesian garment, footwear core convenions and naional laws. Beter work industrial estates. They mobilized internaional
2013 (GBG 2016). More than 170 foreign brands and texile producions industries employed an Indonesia also reports an industry-wide low level support, including through a peiion signed
and companies are acive in Indonesia’s garment esimated 2 million workers (AFWI-2015). Due of compliance with laws governing overime pay, by one million people rejecing PP78. They
industry. In 2014, Indonesia accounted for 2.9% to an economic slowdown in Indonesia in 2015, provision of social security beneits and short- also submited a call for judicial review to the
of the world market for garment export, placing many smaller garment producers closed down term contractual employment relaionships. Consituional Court of the Republic of Indonesia.
Indonesia among the top ten garment supplier or ired considerable porions of workers. In
companies globally (CCC 2015a). While the September 2015, the jobs of around 36,000 texile Labour law changes On October 30, 2015, demonstraions against
industry is projected to remain slow through 2016, and garment employees were under threat from PP78 were violently repressed by security forces.
forecasts predict that by 2030, texiles will emerge weak sales—adding to the 45,000 workers who On October 23, 2015, the Indonesian Government Labour union oicials were beaten, kicked and
as Indonesia’s largest export sector (GBG 2016). had already been let go from factories. issued Government Regulaion No. 78 of 2015 dragged. 23 labour union oicials and 2 public
(hereinater “PP78”). PP78 is applicable for at least atorneys were detained for resising the state
Indonesia’s garment industry exempliies regional 90% of garment producion is concentrated 40 million formal workers. It regulated a range of (AFWA-I 2015).
integraion. Indonesia sources coton, exports on Java Island, with 55% in the western end of wages, including minimum wage, overime wage,
yarn, imports fabrics and exports garments. Java Island. Central and eastern Java, however, taxes and wage ines. While some aricles codify
Indonesia is ranked 9th for global coton are increasingly signiicant producion hubs. exising wage regulaions—including overime,
consumpion but produces less than 2% of the The Ministry of Industry plans greater onshore piece rate and casual worker remuneraion; others
domesic coton demand. This deicit is illed warehousing of coton and is promoing the introduce a new wage system—including a new
through raw coton imports from Brazil, the US Central Java province as a new texile hub, with minimum wage formulaion and a new mandatory
wage scale structure.
On Thursday, December 10, 2015, 6000 garment to easily adjust their workforce in response to
workers in Phnom Penh, Kampong Speu and supply and demand condiions, they generate
Kampong Som organized to protest employment more non-standard work. Suppliers, in turn, adjust
pracices in global value chains headed by Gap to increased risk through precarious employment
and other key internaional retailers. Supported relaionships characterized by low wages and
by the Coaliion of Cambodian Apparel Workers temporary work.
Democraic Union (CCAWDU), Cambodian workers
sought fair wages and working condiions. In Proliferaion of precarious work has a far-reaching
India, garment workers from six factories that impact upon the nature of work and workplaces
produce for brands including Gap rallied in and the gender-based distribuion of work.
solidarity. From diverse sites across the garment Consequences of precarious work include greater
global producion network (GPN), workers and economic inequality, insecurity and instability
their allies called upon brands, including Gap, to among workers. These forces have severe impacts
ensure their rights to earn a living wage, unionize on workers lives and their roles within their
without dismissal and resist labour law changes families and communiies (Kalleberg 2009).
that undermine freedom of associaion, maintain
poverty level minimum wages and facilitate This study ideniies persistent violaions of rights
lexible employment relaions (Finster 2015). at work within Gap value chains in Cambodia,
India and Indonesia. It draws upon evidence of
rights violaions collected through 150 structured
Part 4
The growth of global interviews conducted between August and
production networks (GPNs) October 2015 with garment workers in the Java
within the garment industry area of Indonesia and the Gurgaon, Naional
abuses, reproduced across contexts and integrally of suppliers provides a step toward accountability on emerging internaional norms governing under the Declaraion on Fundamental Principles
linked to the structure of the garment GVC. by allowing labour rights groups, the government terminaion of employment. and Rights at Work, including the Freedom
and other paries to monitor labour rights in of Associaion and Protecion of the Right to
Documening rights violaions in Gap factories their direct supplier and subcontractor factories. Deparing from internaional standards, the Organize Convenion, 1948 (No. 87) and Right to
is paricularly challenging because Gap refuses Gap’s reluctance to facilitate monitoring further Gap Code of Vendor Conduct—containing the Organize and Collecive Bargaining Contenion,
to disclose basic informaion about its suppliers. undermines accountability for the rights violaions standards for sourcing factories set by Gap—does 1949 (No. 98).
In a context where rampant rights abuse are detailed in this secion. not explicitly address hiring non-permanent
structurally embedded within supply chains, the workers. The document does contain guidelines Cambodia
importance of full public disclosure cannot be for use of ixed duraion contracts for employing
underesimated. In response to an foreign migrants engaged in contract labour in a Under Cambodian labour law, factory owners can
October 2014 inquiry by Human Rights Watch, Temporary and contract desinaion country. Gap has no direct standards either engage workers on undetermined duraion
workers
Gap cited commercial interests and feasibility as governing employment of contract and casual contracts (UDCs) or on ixed duraion contracts
grounds for refusing to disclose suppliers: workers. (FDCs) that specify a contract end date. Factory
managers can issue FDCs and renew them one
We currently do not disclose our supplier lists. The ILO Terminaion of Employment Convenion, Temporary and contract employment relaions or more imes for up to two years. If an FDC is
There are commercial reasons—we feel that we 1982 (No. 158) and Terminaion of Employment are common modes of maintaining a precarious extended so that the total period of the contract
have invested a lot in our supply chain—some Recommendaion, 1982 (No. 166) govern the use workforce across global producion networks. is more than two years, then the contract will
are our strategic partners and we don’t know of short-term contracts. These instruments call Short-term contracts make it easier to hire and automaically turn into a UDC.
the implicaion of disclosing. And we are sill upon states to ensure that contracts for speciic ire workers. Precarious employment relaionships
understanding the supplier side of this—how periods are not used to diminish protecion with workers engaged in labour intensive FDCs and UDCs confer workers with disinct
can we manage and update the list? How can against unfair terminaion. Instead, ixed term processes have allowed employers within the beneits upon terminaion:
we maintain an accurate and current list? I’m contracts should be limited to condiions where garment global producion network to ensure that • An FDC terminates on a speciic end date, or
not saying we will never disclose but we don’t the nature of work, circumstances or interests labour costs are not expended during cycles when earlier with the agreement of both paries
disclose now (Kashyap 2015). of the worker require them. In instances where producion wanes. or in cases of serious misconduct or “acts of
short-term contracts are renewed one or more god.” If an employer prematurely terminates
Gap’s concern with feasibility is far from imes, or when they are not required, states are an FDC for any other reason, the employee is
compelling since numerous brands do disclose instructed to consider ixed term contracts as Threats of non-renewal enitled to remuneraion equal to the wages
suppliers. H&M, for instance, started publicly contracts of indeterminate duraion (R166, Art. 3). undermine workers’ ability she would have received unil the natural end
disclosing of suppliers in 2013 and updates to demand safe workplaces, of the contract. If the period of an FDC is more
supplier lists annually. In 2014, H&M expanded In order to curb arbitrary dismissals, states are than six months, employees are enitled to
their supplier lists to include factories that are required to implement safeguards including exercise their rights to noice prior to terminaion.
approved to perform subcontracted or designated writen warning followed by a reasonable freedom of association and • UDCs can be terminated at will by the
outsourced work (Donaldson 2015). Lists of period for improvement. Where an employer employer or employee, but are subjected
suppliers and designated subcontractors are needs to terminate a worker due to economic, refuse overtime work. to speciic noice periods based upon the
available on the H&M website. technological, structural or other like length of ime the employee worked. During
consideraions, these decisions should be made Illegal use of short-term contracts is common in these prescribed noice periods, the worker is
According to an April 2014 leter from H&M to according to pre-deined criteria that consider the the garment industries of all three countries— enitled to two days of leave per week, with
Human Rights Watch, within Cambodia, H&M has interests of the worker as well as the employer including in Gap supply chains. Threats of non- full payment, to search for new employment.
even distributed a translated copy of its suppliers’ (R166, Arts. 8, 23). Although neither Cambodia, renewal undermine workers’ ability to demand If a UDC is terminated without noice or
list to local unions and labour rights groups to India nor Indonesia has raiied Convenion safe workplaces, exercise their rights to freedom without compliance within speciied noice
encourage whistleblowing in cases of abusive No. 158, this convenion and corresponding of associaion and refuse overime work. As periods, the employee is enitled to receive
labour pracices (Kashyap 2015). Public disclosure recommendaion provide signiicant guidance a result, illegal use of short-term contracts wages and beneits equal to those they would
undermines ILO core labour standards protected
42 43
have received during the noice period. for company purchasing pracices that create Use of contract labour is most workers did not receive this social security
a ferile ground for the proliferaion of FDCs. beneit.
The UDC is disinct from the FDC because it Instead, Gap shits responsibility to suppliers pervasive in Delhi-NCR with
fundamentally safeguards employees against without atending to the needs of workers an estimated 60-80% of the In addiion to diferenial treatment, contract
unemployment by providing supported transiion engaged in producing Gap products. workers also reported loss of seniority and
to alternate employment. garment workforce employed barriers to unionizaion as a common issue during
Workers unions, however, consistently cited as contract workers. renewal of contracts. For instance, the Manesar
According to Beter Factories Cambodia (BFC), short-term duraion of contracts as a signiicant unit of Tets N Rai (Sector 4, Plot 42) produces
however, factories persist in using FDCs beyond workplace challenge. According to a case study security beneits and freedom of associaion. This only for Gap. With a total of 700 workers in 16
the two-year duraion. BFC reported a drop in done by HRW in a small subcontractor factory facilitates the sidestepping of statutory obligaions producion lines, almost all of these workers are
factory compliance with the two-year rule on FDCs in Cambodia that produces garments for Gap, by employers and creates a constant state of contracted from Balaji Enterprises, a contractor
from 76% of factories surveyed in 2011 to 67% of frequent rights violaions were associated with insecurity for workers (Chan 2013). operaing from Gurgaon. Balaji ensures that no
factories surveyed in 2013-2014. Since 2011, BFC short-duraion contracts including absence of worker is employed for a coninuous period of
has also consistently found that nearly one third beneits received by long-term workers. Workers Both large labour contractors and small sub ive years to avoid payment of gratuity. Instead
of all factories in each survey period used FDCs to reported working for more than two years contractors supply workers to garment factories contracts are terminated upon reaching four years
avoid paying maternity and seniority beneits (BFC but always on short-term contracts that were in Gurgaon. Casual and contract workers, hired and then renewed, making workers rejoin with a
2014). Employers also use threats of nonrenewal repeatedly renewed. The management would with ambiguous terms of employment, most oten new start date. Loss of seniority impacts workers’
of such agreements to pressure workers into non- issue new idenity cards with a new start date cannot produce contract documents. Absent clear right to receive social security beneits.
voluntary overime (CCHR 2014). for each term. Workers from this factory also contracts, workers face signiicant challenges
reported a hosility of the management towards seeking relief in cases of abuse. Interviews with Use of subcontracted labour at Tets N Rai also
Cambodian workers have challenged the abusive union aciviies (Kashyap 2015). trade union leadres in the garment industry in impacts workers’ engagement with unions as
use of FDCs in collecive disputes before the the NCR further revealed that the pracice of a plaform for negoiaion by leaving workers
Arbitraion Council. The Council has consistently India making workers sign on blank sheets during hiring vulnerable to terminaion for exercising their
ruled that according to aricle 67 of the 1997 is common. These signed sheets are later used right to freedom of associaion. Workers and
Labour Law, factories cannot engage workers on According to India’s Naional Commission on to establish legal condiions that jusify illegal union organizers report that Balaji and Tets N Rai
FDCs beyond two years and that if they do, such Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS), terminaion. use short-term contracts to undermine freedom
workers are enitled to the same beneits and within the garment industry, hiring workers of associaion. By hiring workers on short-term
protecions as workers on UDCs. The Garment on a regular contract is on decline while short- All four factories producing for Gap that were contracts, Balaji and Tets N Rai can easily ire
Manufacturers Associaion in Cambodia (GMAC) term and irregular contracts are emerging as invesigated for this study employed a non- workers in retaliaion for engaging in union
has contested this interpretaion of the 1997 the basis of most new recruitment in the sector. standard workforce, including short-term contract aciviies.
Labour Law. These employment trends have led NCEUS workers, daily wage workers and workers who
to characterize garment workers as “informal work on piece-rate. Condiions of work varied for Indonesia
In response to inquiries from Human Rights workers in the formal sector,” appropriately the diferent categories of workers:
Watch in 2014, Gap did not provide any speciic accouning for home-based work, daily wage work • Contract and casual workers reported working Under Indonesia’s Manpower Act, 2003, non-
informaion about the use of FDCs in its supplier and contractual labour. (Pratap 2015; Sridhar longer hours and receiving fewer leaves when permanent work agreements can only be used for
factories in Cambodia; or how the brand’s 700 2014). compared to permanent workers; four types of work:
performance indicators integrated these in factory • Contract and casual workers reported • Work that is to be performed and completed
audits. However, Gap conirmed that “FDCs are Use of contract labour is most pervasive in Delhi- receiving single rather than double overime at once or that is temporary by nature;
a common pracice in Cambodia” and reiterated NCR with an esimated 60-80% of the garment payment; • Work in which the esimated ime for
its commitment to the Arbitraion Council’s workforce employed as contract workers. Casual • Contract and daily wage workers reported that compleion is no longer than three years;
ruling limiing use of short-term contracts. This and contract workers lack job security, social a deducion of the Provident Fund amount • Work that is dependent or seasonal; or
statement from Gap refuses to take responsibility was taken from their wages while piece-rate • Work that is related to a new product, new
44 45
A living wage suicient for organizaions of workers and employers were % increase
% from
previously represented on these councils, from
workers in India amounts to Government Regulaion No. 78 of 2015 (PP78) Provinces 2011 2012
previous
2013 previous US $ (*)
INR 18,727 [USD 282.78] per eliminates worker opportuniies to negoiate year
year
before the wage council. PP78 also introduces
month—more than double Banten 1,000,000 1,042,000 4.20% 1,170,000 12.28% 106.36
a new minimum wage formula that sipulates
the wages aforded workers a measured annual wage increase that takes
Jakarta 1,290,000 1,529,150 18.54 2,200,000 43.87% 200
into account the current iscal year inlaion. West Java 732,000 780,000 6.56% 850,000 8.97% 77.27
under the current Haryana As previously menioned, labour unions in Central Java 675,000 765,000 13.33% 830,000 8.50% 75.45
minimum wage. Indonesia have rejected PP78 on the grounds East Java 705,000 745,000 5.67% 866,250 16.28 78.75
that it facilitates lexible employment, insitutes Naional
worker under the current Cambodian minimum a minimum wage formula that erases workers’ 988,829.39 1,088,902.64 10.12% 1,296,908.48 19.10% 117.90
(avg)
wage. This rate includes support for all family needs and eliminates the opportunity to negoiate Table 5: Average minimum wage increase across sectors for selected provinces, 2010-2013
members, basic nutriional needs of a worker and before the Minimum Wage Council (AFWA-I). Note: Exchange rate: 1US$ = Rp 11.000
other basic needs, including housing, healthcare,
educaion and some basic savings. workers reported that inadequate wages had Companies responded to labour resistance
In December 2015, the minimum wage in
a signiicant impact upon their health. Forced against suspended wage increases with threats
Greater Jakarta—including Jakarta, Bogor, Depok,
Despite appeals to Gap from Cambodian labour to work overime to earn more, pressure to of retaliaion, including threats of layofs and
Tangerang and dan Bekasi—has been determined,
unions and internaional allies to ensure living complete targets that prevent workers from taking relocaion—both to other provinces and to other
on average, as three million rupiahs (AFWA-I). All
wages for Cambodian garment workers, Gap breaks to even go to the toilet, and inability to countries. When workers appealed to brands to
workers in Indonesia interviewed for this study
aford health insurance together, take a long term call for enforcement of minimum wages, brands
did not intervene to secure living wages for reported receiving minimum wages.
Cambodian workers. Instead, as discussed in detail toll on the health of workers and their families. including Gap refused to intervene on their behalf
in context of freedom of associaion, workers (Barria 2014).
These wages, however, are far from adequate
who mobilized to demand a living wage met with Garment producion companies in Indonesia have
to meet the needs of a worker and their family.
violent suppression, including deadly use of force. strategically resisted increases in minimum wages.
Minimum wages in Indonesia have been deined
For instance, in response to a weeklong struggle
based upon the needs of an individual worker and
Indonesia not a family. According to 2015 AFW annual PPP$
by unions across industries, workers succeeded
Hours of work
in winning signiicant minimum wage increases
wage igures, calculated based upon up to date
Under Indonesia’s Manpower Act, 2003 and across sectors in 2013 (Table 5).
naional food basket research, a living wage for
The ILO prohibits excessive hours of work and
Government Regulaion on Wages Protecion, workers in Indonesia is 4,684,570 Rupiah.
In response, employers across sectors sought inadequate periods of rest on the grounds that
1981, minimum wages are deined as the lowest
relief from paying increased minimum wages. such condiions damage workers’ health and
minimum wages that consist of basic wage and Consistent with these igures, in a hearing before
Under the Indonesia Manpower Ministerial increase the risk of workplace accidents. Long
ixed allowances. Within Indonesia, minimum the Permanent People’s Tribunal held in Colombo,
Decree no. 231/2003, companies may apply working hours also prohibit workers atending to
wage rates difer across groups of workers, sectors Sri Lanka in December 2015, workers from
to local, provincial or regional authoriies for family and paricipaing in the community. ILO
of economic acivity and by geographical locaion. Indonesia reported that living needs in greater
suspension of minimum wage increases on the standards on working ime provide a framework
The Manpower Act, 2003 also requires workers Jakarta for a single worker reaches four million
grounds that their economic situaion does not for regulaing hours of work. Relevant standards
who are paid on piece rates to be paid at least rupiahs per month. For a worker with a family, this
allow them to pay the increase. In 2013, 949 include: the Hours of Work (Industry) Convenion,
minimum wage for ordinary hours of work (BWI amount can reach ive-six million rupiahs a month.
companies submited applicaions for exempion 1919 (No.1); Weekly Rest (Industry) Convenion,
2012).
and 669 companies, including garment- 1921 (No. 14); Holidays with Pay Convenion
In the Tribunal on Living Wage as a Fundmantal
manufacturing companies, were accepted. (Revised), 1970 (No. 32); Night Work Convenion,
Provincial and District Wage Councils formulate Right of Indonesian Garment Workers, held from
1990 (No. 171); and Part-Time Work Convenion,
regulaions specifying minimum wages. While held from June 21-24, 2014 in Jakarta, Indonesian
1994 (No. 175).
48 49
The Gap Code of Vendor Conduct requires targets and piece rate systems also incenivize 2015). for addiional overime hours worked. Regular
factories to follow either the naional standards excessive hours of work and inadequate periods workers reported receiving 1.5 imes payment—
for work hours or the internaional standard of a of rest. These condiions damage workers’ health, While overime work is sought out by many higher than contract and casual workers but sill
48 hour work week with overime not exceeding increase the risk of workplace accidents and workers voluntarily, the inancial imperaive below the legal standard. In most cases, workers
12 hours in a week, whichever is lesser. However infringe on freedom of associaion. of working overime due to the persistence of reported working signiicantly longer than two
the phrasing of this guideline is ambiguous, minimum wage standards below living wage overime hours a day.
leaving space for subjecive interpretaion. Cambodia standards can be viewed as a form of economic
coercion that leads to involuntary or forced In Tets N Rai, for instance, overime hours for most
Except in extraordinary business circumstances, The Cambodian Labour Law, 1997 deines overime. workers amount to a minimum of 3 hours per day
the maximum allowable working hours in any overime work as work beyond the regular and are rouinely stretched ill late at night. If they
week shall be lesser of a) what is permited eight-hour day. Regulaions governing overime India are given Sunday of, workers report being made
by naional law or b) a regular work week of require that it be limited to excepional or urgent to work ill 4 am on Saturday night. In the event of
48 hours plus overime hours not excess of 12 work and limited to twelve hours per week—or Under the Indian Factories Act, 1948, a worker a working Sunday, workers are required to work
hours. approximately two hours per day. Regulaions that works in a factory for more than 9 hours a ill 2 a.m. on Saturday and then come to work at
also sipulate that overime should be voluntary day or more than 48 hours a week is enitled to 9 a.m. the next day. While legal standards require
and employers should not penalize workers who overime pay at the rate of twice the ordinary workers to be given compensaion for food during
The ambiguity in Gap’s refuse overime work. Required overime rates wage rate. overime work hours, Tets N Rai provides a mere
guidelines facilitates these difer based upon whether overime is performed Rs. 30 [USD .45] to workers who engaged in
abusive practices. during the week, a weekly day of (typically Working condiions in the unorganized overime late into the night.
Sunday) or on a public holiday (Aricles 137, 139, garment sector in the NCR frequently amount
146, 166). to sweatshop condiions. Workers engaged in In all four factories invesigated for this study,
Almost all garment workers in Cambodia exceed tailoring operaions are required to complete workers reported that they are forced to do
The term extraordinary business circumstance the 48-hour work week, oten without taking paid nearly 50-60 pieces per hour on an average while overime—that they cannot refuse it. Reported
provides signiicant room for interpretaion by evening breaks during overime shits. According piece-rate workers need to process 100-150 penalies for refusing overime include dismissal
factory management. As explained in previous to a 2015 survey of Consumpion Expenditure pieces hourly (Achanta 2015). Failure to adhere to from work and physical and verbal abuse.
secions of this report, the garment global of Garment and Footwear workers in Cambodia, producion targets engenders verbal abuse from
producion network shits uncertainty onto prepared by the Cambodian Organizaion for managers or supervisors. Indonesia
workers at the base of global value chains through Research and Development and the Solidarity
seasonal producion cycles and target-oriented Center, 87% of garment workers surveyed All casual and contract workers interviewed for Under Indonesia’s Manpower Act, 2003, workers
work processes. The ambiguity in Gap’s guidelines engaged in overime work in order to meet their this study worked between a minimum of 9 and who work overime—beyond 40 hours per
facilitates these abusive pracices. basic needs (Finster 2015). a maximum of 17 hours per day. In 2 of the 4 week—are to be paid 1.5 imes hourly for the
factories surveyed, piece rate workers reported irst hour of overime and 2 imes the hourly
Use of producion targets and piece rate wages In 2014, Human Rights Watch reported that their work was not measured in ime but in pay for each addiional hour worked. Workers
create sustained pressure among workers to meet documening extreme overime abuses. For pieces. Accordingly, they had no mechanisms to paid by piece rate are also enitled to overime
targets at the expense of taking breaks to rest, instance, in an unnamed Gap sourcing factory in account for overime. pay rates. Forcing workers to work against their
use restrooms and even drink water. Across Asian Cambodia, Human Rights Watch spoke to workers will under threat of penalty can indicate forced
global value chains, workers in divisions ranging who reported working coninuously from 12:30 Furthermore, compensaion for overime in the labour regardless of whether involuntary work
from sewing, trimming excess thread, quality p.m. unil closing ime without a break. They were factories surveyed is not commensurate with is performed during regular hours or overime.
checking and packaging are rouinely assigned also forced into working overime based upon legally required rates. Contract and casual workers Accordingly, Indonesian law requires employees to
producion targets. threats of terminaion. Workers reported that in all four factories reported receiving double provide writen consent to all overime work (BWI
these threats were very real since a colleague had over ime payment for the irst two hours of 2012).
Encouraging violaion of internaional labour been ired for refusing overime work (Kashyap overime work but only single overime payment
standards governing hours of work, producion
50 51
In each of the four factories surveyed for this Gap supplier, piece-rate workers were being paid Cambodia
study, workers reported being required to work If we ind a case of unauthorized Rs.1.20, lower than the prevailing rate of Rs. 1.50
overime hours beyond 40 hours per week. In subcontracing (UAS), the Monitoring and per collar. Workers refusal to work at a lower rate Health risks associated with unsafe
each of these factories, workers reported that Remediaion Specialist (MRS) escalates was met with a threat of giving away the work working environments
they could not refuse overime hours. the incident to the Vendor Engagement & enirely to a subcontractor.
Monitoring manager and director in accordance The Cambodian Labour Law 1997 incorporates
with our Issue Escalaion Policy for High Risk standards of workplace safety, hygiene and
Incidents. The local MRS advises the
Unauthorized factory to immediately stop producion and Workplace safety cleanliness, with criminal sancions for failing to
implement health and safety measures in the
subcontracing
ensures all goods (inished or uninished) are workplace (Aricles 80, 229, 230).
returned to an approved Gap Inc. factory, The ILO addresses occupaional health and
segregated and held unil the issue is resolved. safety in the Occupaional Safety and Health
Working condiions in garment factories and
Tier 1 companies rouinely engage subcontractors An invesigaion is conducted at the factory to Convenion, 1981 (No. 155) and its Protocol
the impact on the health of garment workers is
to complete orders from brands. Subcontracing determine whether there are any criical issues. of 2002, as well as in more than 40 standards
a pressing concern within the garment industry
funnels work from regulated faciliies to that deal with occupaional safety and health.
in Cambodia. The BFC Thirieth synthesis report
unregulated contractors where employees While Gap reported dealing with cases of Convenion No. 155 requires each member state,
on working condiions in Cambodia’s garment
typically work longer, for less and usually in worse unauthorized subcontracing on a case by case in consultaion with workers and employers, to
sector (November 2012 to April 2013) reported
condiions. basis, Gap did not report any mechanisms to formulate, implement and periodically review
signiicant health and safety concerns. 15% of the
protect whistle blowers or ensure that reporing a coherent naional policy on occupaional
factories monitored kept emergency doors locked
Subcontracing pracices make chains of mechanisms were accessible to workers. safety, occupaional health and the working
during work hours, puing workers at risk of
accountability more diicult to establish. Brands environment. While neither Cambodia nor India
death in the event of a ire. 45% failed to conduct
typically establish contracts with Tier 1 or parent In recent years, however, researchers have has raiied Convenion No. 155, this instrument
emergency ire drills every six months and 53%
companies and list these companies exclusively ideniied cases in which Gap has not taken provides meaningful guidance on internaional
had obstructed access paths (CCHR 2014)
when disclosing producion units. In instances acion to defend the rights of workers producing standards governing occupaional health and
where brand labels are sewn in by the parent Gap products in faciliies that subcontract from safety.
In a February 2012 hearing before the Permanent
company, workers in subcontracing faciliies may Tier 1 companies. While Gap has blacklisted People’s Tribunal held in Phnom Penh Cambodia,
not even know the brand they are producing for unauthorized contractors, this approach does Sexual harassment at work—including physical,
Asia Floor Wage Alliance-Cambodia (AFWA-C)
(Finster 2015). not construcively address the violaions faced by verbal and non-verbal harassment—directly
reported health problems associated with
workers. undermines workplace safety. Women garment
poor working environments. Workers and their
As explained by C.CAWDU Vice President, workers engaged in employment relaionships
representaives tesiied to working condiions
Athit Kong, a former garment worker: “It is the Within India, for instance, producion processes characterized by unequal power are paricularly
described as “humid and hot, noisy, poorly lit,
mulinaional brands who extract by far the are rouinely contracted from large suppliers to vulnerable to abuse.
with scarce if any venilaion, the uncontrolled
largest proits from the labour of Cambodian subcontractors commonly known as fabricators. and uninformed use of chemicals, excessive
garment workers, yet they hide behind Subcontracing to fabricators is frequently The Gap Code of Vendor Conduct sets forth a
dust, lack of preventaive educaion and litle
layers of outsourcing and subcontracing to avoid associated with rights violaions that remain 14-point standard for compliance by source
availability of personal protecive equipment.”
responsibility” (Finster 2015). largely undocumented and unaddressed. factories. This includes rules on ire safety and
These condiions, they reported, are exacerbated
accidents, sanitaion, lighing and venilaion.
by poverty-level wages:
Gap has acknowledged the impact of This study also found that management in large The Code of Vendor Conduct also prohibits any
subcontracing upon workers rights in global supplier factories uses the threat of available form of abuse, whether physical or non physical,
Women workers are forced to base their nutriion
supply chains. When asked by Human Rights subcontracing to coerce workers into unfair including threats of violence, sexual harassment
on food with a totally insuicient caloric content,
Watch to explain Gap policies on addressing working condiions. For instance, in the Udyog and any other verbal abuse.
many hours of overime work become pracically
unauthorized subcontracing, Gap responded: Vihar unit (Plot 446, Phase 5) of Pearl Global, a mandatory, thus making much worse the chronic
52 53
workers faining in their factories. In October Despite these signiicant occupaional health
2011, 32 workers at Sangwoo Cambodia and safety concerns, Gap refused to atend the
Co. Ltd.—a Gap supplier—fainted in quick People’s Tribunal on Living Wage as a fundamental
succession. Then Provincial health director right of Cambodian Garment Workers, held from
Or Vanthen conirmed that the 32 workers February 5th-8th, 2012in Phnom Penh.
fainted because of a combinaion of factors
including hunger, exhausion, poor health and Sexual harassment in the workplace
working in a building with poor venilaion
(Yuthana 2011). Cambodia’s Labour Law, 1997 prohibits sexual
• In 2012, Clean Clothes Campaign highlighted harassment (Aricle 172). Cambodia does not,
the serious health impacts associated with however, have speciic legal provisions outlining
inability to aford adequate nutriion. For complaint procedures or promoing safe working
instance, Rom Sokha, a 33-year old woman environments.
who, at the ime, worked at Yung Wah
Industrial Co.—a Singaporean-owned factory Workers, union representaives and researchers
that manufactured shirts, jackets and pants for report that sexual harassment in garment factories
Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic—reported is common. According to some esimates, one
that she sufers from serious stomach, colon in ive garment workers experiences sexual
and heart problems due to malnutriion harassment, leading to a threatening work
(Zimmer 2012). environment. Forms of sexual harassment include
• In 2014, two workers employed at factories sexual comments and advances, inappropriate
outside Phnom Penh died at the end of July in touching, pinching and bodily contact iniiated
the Korean-owned Sangwoo factory where she by both managers and male co-workers (Kashyap
had spent four years making clothes for Gap 2015).
and Old Navy (Chua 2014).
In 2012, for instance, six workers in Ocean
Cambodian garment workers were found to intake an average of 1598 calories per day, around half the Invesigaion by the UK-based Labour Behind Garment Factory in Phnom Penh—a Gap
recommended among for a woman working in an industrial context. the Label and the Cambodian Community Legal supplier—accused their manager of sexual
Asia Floor Wage Alliance Educaion Center (CLEC) proposed a more harassment. These allegaions precipitated
scieniic explanaion: malnutriion, prevalent weeks of extended protests by more than 2,500
exposure to the harmful environment (Barria and 2015 numbers mark a 109% increase in the among Cambodian garment workers makes protestors, including workers. In response, Gap
2014). number of people who fainted in 2013 (David them more suscepible to exposure to harmful issued a statement that demanded an immediate
2015). environments. Data gathered by tracking monthly invesigaion, declared “sexual harassment is
Due to exposure to high temperatures and high food purchases by 95 workers employed in a range absolutely unacceptable” and emphasized that
levels of chemical substances, exacerbated As early as 2002, the Union of Needletrades, of garment factories in Cambodia, compared with sexual harassment was a serious violaion of their
by poor venilaion systems and nutriion Industrial and Texile Employees (UNITE) released recommended amounts and workers’ Body Mass vendor code of conduct.
among workers, episodes of mass faining are a study on working condiions in Gap factories, Index (BMI), revealed that workers were found to
a regular occurrence in Cambodian garment highlighing health and safety condiions and intake an average of 1598 calories per day, around Extensive follow up research, including newspaper
factories. According to reports by the Cambodian linking these to wages insuicient to make ends half the recommended amont for a woman aricles and the Gap website, do not, however
government, in 2015 1,806 workers fainted in meet (Vance 2006). This iniial report has been working in an industrial context (McMullen 2013). turn up reports of any further acion taken by Gap
garment and footwear factories—the same followed by numerous widely publicised reports, to remedy the alleged violaions.
number as in 2014 (Kunthear 2016). These 2014 of faining in Gap producion units:
• In 2011, Gap began receiving reports of
54 55
India periodic medical tesing of workers, reporing depression and anxiety. While major accidents are employed by Orient Crat, died suddenly
of work-related accidents and injuries and not common, minor incidents such as puncture while working at his sewing machine. Workers
Health risks associated with unsafe occupaional diseases to the labour authoriies. wounds from needles are a daily occurrence. alleged that he too had been electrocuted
working environments In short, these proposed provisions based upon Other hazards include extended exposure to while management released post-mortem
health and safety are enirely inadequate. heat, noise, dust and chemicals; and biological reports that he had died of cardiac failure
India’s Factories Act, 1948 regulates condiions vulnerability due to poor nutriion. For instance, (Yadav 2015).
of work in manufacturing establishments to Deining a factory as small based only upon the exposure to coton dust irritates the upper • In 2015, Pawan Kumar who worked in Orient
ensure adequate safety, sanitaion, health, number of workers employed in the factory respiratory tract and bronchi. With prolonged Crat, ataching price tags to garments,
welfare measures, hours of work and leave does not adequately account for variaion in exposure, this slowly progresses to chronic, received severe electric shocks leading other
parameters for workers employed in factories. capital investment, turnover and volume of obstrucive pulmonary disease. workers to believe he had died (Yadav 2015).
The 1987 amendment to the Factories Act, 1948 output. Further, size based classiicaion provides Kumar, however, survived the incident.
gave workers the right to informaion about the incenives to employers to spread manufacturing According to indings of a randomised survey
nature and extent of workplace hazards and work over more than one factory to seek conducted by the Employees State Insurance According to union leaders working in Gurgaon,
held directors of companies responsible for risks exempions under the Act. It is unclear what law Corporaion in 2014, 60.6% of garment workers it is common prac ce for factory management
imposed by hazardous waste and other dangers. will apply to industrial units with 1-9 workers surveyed were anemic and 80% of all tuberculosis in collusion with private hospitals to conceal
(Bhatacharjee 2016). cases registered in 2009 were from garment occupa onal injuries. India’s Workmen’s Compensa
Under proposed labour law changes, factories workers. Garment workers, largely internal on Act, 1923, requires employers to 2 Plot 7D,
migrants between the ages of 18 and 45 years Sector 18, Sarhol compensate workers and their
employing 10-40 workers will be governed by Health consequences faced with lower socioeconomic status, face paricular dependants for loss of earning capacity when a
the Small Factories (Regulaion of Employment
and Condiions of Services) Bill, 2014. The 2014
by workers in India’s disadvantages in dealing with health-related worker is injured or killed during the course of
Small Factories Bill suspends applicaion of 14 garment industry include challenges, including diiculies in accessing work. The Workmen’s Compensa on Act provides
labour laws to small units1. The Bill also reduces medical atenion and lack of employment compensa on for a worker injured in the course
respiratory illnesses— mobility (Ceresna-Chaturvedi 2015). of employment even when there is no negligence
standards for health and safety established under
the Factories Act, 1948. The Bill does not contain including silicosis from on the part of the employer or anyone else.
provisions relaing to maintenance of cleanliness, None of the 50 workers interviewed in India Accordingly, factories have incen ve to conceal
sand blasting, tuberculosis, had received any safety training, despite risks workplace injuries and deaths.
adequate venilaion, suitable temperature,
measures to contain dust and fumes, and the ergonomic issues such as back associated with their employment.
safety of persons working on machines. It also Disputes between workers and factory
pain, reproductive health Discussions with workers and union organizers, management regarding cause of death has led
does not contain any provisions relaing to
provision of personal protecive equipment,
issues (irregular period veriied through desk research, revealed to violent outbreaks. For instance, in the 2015
plaforms for collecive bargaining. Wherever such Cambodia oten targeted by factory owners, and violently government, the union federaions and GMAC on
associaions are not legally permited, the Code of beaten by law enforcement oicials while striking January 7, 2014, “calling on all paries to exercise
Vendor Conduct contains parameters for allowing Cambodia’s Consituion guarantees the right to outside the workplace. Many have faced dismissal maximum restraint and refrain from the use of
workers to form parallel associaions towards the strike and the right to non-violent demonstraion. or have been ired due to their aciviies (CCHR force or violence.” The leter, however, did not
same end. Sourcing factories are prohibited from The 1997 Labour Law guarantees workers the 2014). condemn the Cambodian governments violaion
threatening or penalising workers for exercising right to form unions of their choice and protects of workers’ human rights. Rather, it referenced
their right to freedom of associaion and workers against interference from employers and In late December 2013 and early January 2014, two causes for concern: “widespread civil
collecive bargaining. Suppliers are also required discriminaion on the basis of union membership. more than 200,000 Cambodian garment workers unrest” and “government use of deadly force”—
to implement their own freedom of associaion took to the streets to demand a new minimum suggesing a shared responsibility for the death
policy and to communicate this policy to workers Although union membership is signiicantly higher wage of $160/month. The strike closed the of the four garment workers between protestors
in their own language. Gap has also made public in the garment industry than in other industries industry for one week and cost manufacturers and military personnel that used excessive force in
commitments to take swit and decisive acion to in Cambodia, with at least 37 garment union more than USD 200 million. In response, armed response to demonstraions (WRC 2014).
ensure that rights to freedom of associaion and federaions in existence as of 2014, many garment soldiers chased and atacked workers with
collecive bargaining are protected. workers remain unrepresented. Union leaders are slingshots, batons, and metal pipes in front of Also on January 7, the South Korean Embassy
a garment factory in Phnom Penh. During the called upon the Cambodian government to
violence, the soldiers detained ten union leaders protect South Korean investments in garment
Police storm a building occupied by protesing garment workers. This image was taken on the night
and protesters, severely beaing some and holding manufacturing factories. Korean factories,
leading up to the fatal shooing of 4-6 protestors who were advocaing for wage increases in the garment
them all overnight at a military base without including Yakjin, a producer that supplies to
sectors.
access to adequate medical treatment. American Eagle, Gap and Walmart, received
By Luc Forsythe: htp://porfolio.lucforsyth.com/index special protecion as a result of these eforts.
38 people were hospitalized Subsequently, ten days later, on January 17,
during the attack, 25 sufering Gap joined numerous brands, along with three
from bullet wounds, and 13 internaional labour bodies—ITUC, Global Union
Federaion and IndustriALL—in sending a stronger
more were arrested. leter condemning excessive use of force in
response to demonstraion. This leter expressed
The following day, on January 3, 2014, police and “grave concern at the killing and wounding of
military personnel shot and killed at least ive workers and bystanders by security forces” and
striking workers during a renewed mobilizaion called on the Cambodian government to respect
using live ammuniion at the Canadia Industrial the rights of detainees and freedom of associaion
Park, in southwest Phnom Penh. Those killed by (WRC 2014).
the Cambodian security forces were employed
at factories producing clothing for several major On February 19, the ITUC, IndustriALL and
mulinaional corporaions, including Puma and UNI, along with Gap and other brands, met
Adidas. An addiional 38 people were hospitalized with Cambodian government representaives
during the atack, 25 sufering from bullet concerning seing minimum wages, developing
wounds, and 13 more were arrested. legislaion regulaing trade unions and the status
of the 21 detainees. In a subsequent leter on
In response to this use of deadly force, on January March 14, the same group of global unions and
7, Gap together with a number of brands including brands called on the government to respect the
Puma, H&M, Adidas, Inditex, Levi Strauss and rights of the 21 detainees (WRC 2014).
Columbia signed a leter to the Cambodian
60 61
Ater a ive-month campaign spanning more than conciliaion board or court of enquiry—although While dejure labour law reforms have been management toward trade unions. Tacics include
20 countries, and 40 major ciies around the the outcomes of a referral were not binding upon slower to materialize, over the last twenty-ive use of short-term contracts as a mechanism
world, the 23 were released from prison. the paries. years, industrial relaions have been defacto of maintaining employment instability and
restructured along these lines. discouraging workers from joining unions.
The government has failed to thoroughly and The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 applied
transparently invesigate the deaths, injuries and condiions under which workers were allowed to The 1991 reform climate prompted systemaic For instance, in Pyoginam producion units,
disappearances that resulted from this violent strike and disinguished between legal and illegal downsizing of the organized workforce. Micro- No. 268 and 262, workers and union organizers
suppression. Three weeks ater the shooing, the strikes. The Act also designated no procedures level studies of this period have documented explained that high turnover prevents workers
government announced that an invesigaion to determine the representaive union in a large-scale employment adjustments in response from forming a union. Within these producion
into the violence had been completed. The paricular bargaining unit. Since employers were to adverse demand shocks. For instance, due to units, no worker is allowed to hold coninuous
report, however, has not yet been made public under no legal obligaion to bargain with unions, the collapse of Ahmedabad’s texile factories in employment for more than a year. Workers
and high-ranking oicials stated that the focus there was no incenive for collecive bargaining. the 1980s and 1990s, 36,000 workers lost their report being terminated for a period of one
of invesigaion was to determine responsibility Instead, privileging strong state intervenion in jobs between 1983 and 1984. Other systemaic month before being rehired. The constant threat
for iniiaing the violence and not to determine industrial disputes, compulsory arbitraion lies measures to achieve labour lexibility during of terminaion, trade union leaders explained,
responsibility for causing the death and injury of at the core of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, this period have included illegal closures, creates a signiicant barrier to organizing.
protesters. permiing the state to force any conlict into increased use of contract labour, outsourcing and
Immediately following the strike, the government compulsory arbitraion and to declare any strike subcontracing. As a result of such systemaic Another tacic to prevent workers from
insituted an interim ban on freedom of assembly or lockout illegal. These provisions allowed the downsizing of the organized sector, workers were interacing with union leaders or paricipaing
prohibiing gatherings of 10 people of more state to intervene in industrial disputes and direct increasingly channeled into delivering lexible, in union aciviies include prevening workers
which lasted around three months. Further, the industrial relaionships through civil dispute labour intensive producion aciviies at low cost from engaging with anyone outside the factory
government insituted an interim ban on union mechanisms. For the most part, under these and without wage, job or social security. during breaks in the workday. For example in
registraion that lasted for most of 2014. provisions, disputes were referred to conciliaion, the Manesar unit of Tets N Rai, workers are not
then to the labour commissioner—and if these Reducing the bargaining power of what remains of allowed to leave factory premises—even during
India mechanisms failed, disputes were setled in the organized industrial sector, 2001 amendments their tea and lunch breaks—and are required
industrial courts, labour courts or through binding to the Trade Unions Act, 1926 required unions instead to eat at the canteen inside the unit.
The regulatory framework undergirding industrial arbitraion. to have at least 100 members or to represent Prohibiions on leaving the factory for breaks
relaions in present-day India was introduced at least 10 percent of the workforce in order to during working hours, combined with extended
during the 1920’s. Signiicant legislaion included In context of global markeizaion, India’s labour register under the Act—making the formaion working hours—at imes up to 17 hours a day—
the Trade Unions Act, 1926 and Trade Disputes laws have been criiqued for facilitaing the and registraion of unions far more challenging funcionally eclipses the potenial for workers to
Act, 1929. The Trade Unions Act, 1926, provided rising power of unions and protecing rights than had previously been the case (Bhatacharjee exercise their fundamental rights to freedom of
for registraion of trade unions, gave unions at work. In paricular, criicism was leveled 2016). associaion and collecive bargaining.
legal status and extended some protecion against ineiciency in India’s state machinery
against civil and criminal liability in the course for adjudicaing industrial disputes and the 1982 Consistent with the systemaic atack on freedom
of industrial disputes. However, both the Trade amendments to the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 of associaion, all 50 workers interviewed stated
Unions Act, 1926 and Trade Disputes Act, 1929 that were seen as curtailing employers’ rights and that trade unions did not exist in their factories. Maternity beneits
remained limited in their protecion of freedom of enhancing bargaining power of unions. However they were all aware of the existence of
associaion and collecive bargaining. Unregistered trade unions. Recognizing that pregnancy and maternity can be
unions were excluded from protecion and the Such criiques have been mobilized to advocate an especially vulnerable ime for working women
legislaion did not obligate employers to bargain for labour law reforms that increase workforce Union busing mechanisms are common in all and their families, the ILO Maternity Protecion
with registered unions. The Trade Disputes lexibility, decrease the bargaining authority garment producing factories in Haryana. In all Convenion, 2000 (No. 183) calls for beneits
Act, 1929, severely limited the right to strike of trade unions and diminish the reach of of the four suppliers studied, workers and trade including 14 weeks of maternity leave and cash
and required referral of industrial disputes to a India’s state labour regulatory apparatus. union representaives reported hosility from beneits to ensure that a woman can maintain
herself and her child. In order to ensure that a
62 63
woman can maintain proper condiions of health from garment manufacturing jobs. This led many pregnancy, a worker is enitled to six weeks of and casual workers reported that although most
and a suitable standard of living, Convenion women to terminate pregnancies in order to keep paid maternity leave. Employees are also enitled of the ime they are reinstated in their jobs ater
No. 183 speciies that earnings shall be no less their jobs, Women also force themselves to work to one addiional month of paid leave in case of pregnancy, they receive completely new contracts
than two-thirds or her previous earnings or a unil the very last day before the delivery, puing complicaions arising due to pregnancy, delivery, that cause them to lose seniority.
comparable amount. The convenion also requires their own lives at risk. Most women on FDCs do premature birth, miscarriage, medical terminaion
states to protect women and nursing mothers not get their contracts renewed ater they go on or a tubectomy operaion (two weeks in this case) Indonesia
from work that has been determined to be maternity leave (CCHR 2014; Nuon 2011). (Secions 6-10).
harmful to her health or the health of her child. Indonesian law prevents employers from
Finally, under this convenion, employers are In a 2015 report, “Work Faster or Get Out”: The maternity leave is awarded with full pay on terminaing or forcing employees to resign
prohibited from discriminaing against women Labour Rights Abuses in Cambodia’s Garment compleion of at least 80 days in an establishment because they are pregnant, on maternity leave, or
on the basis of maternity and prevented from Industry, Human Rights Watch documented in the 12 months prior to her expected date of based upon their marital status. Under the Labour
terminaing a woman’s employment during reports of discriminaion in hiring based on delivery. The maternity beneit is awarded at the Social Security Act, 1992 and Manpower Act,
pregnancy or absence on maternity leave or maternity and denial of maternity beneits to rate of the average daily wage for the period of a 2003, women are enitled to compensaion on the
during a period following her return to work— workers—even though they had been employed worker’s actual absence from work. Apart from 12 basis of reduced earnings during pregnancy (BWI
except on grounds unrelated to pregnancy, for more than one year—within a Gap sourcing weeks of salary, a female worker is enitled to a 2012).
childbirth and related consequences. factory in Cambodia. In order to protect the medical bonus of 3,500 Indian rupees (Secion 5).
The Code of Vendor Conduct drawn up by Gap idenity of workers, idenifying informaion for the
does not menion any standards on Maternity factory was not disclosed (Kashyap 2015). A pregnant woman worker is enitled to a All 100 workers interviewed in Indonesia reported
Beneits. However it does include prohibiion on maternity beneit (in the form of medical that only permanent workers receive maternity
discriminaion with regard to maternity in both Factories employing more than 100 female bonus) of one thousand rupees if no prenatal leave. The trend toward precarious work in the
hiring and terminaion of workers. workers are also required by law to set up coninement and post-natal care is provided by Indonesia garment sector, facilitated by PP78,
a nursing room and day care center (Aricle the employer free of charge. It can be increased to leaves an increasing number of women garment
Cambodia 186). Women are also legally allowed one hour a maximum limit of twenty thousand rupees. The workers vulnerable to discriminaion and
of a day, in addiion to regular breaks, for Central Government is authorized to increase the reduced earnings during pregnancy and refusal of
Cambodia’s Labour Law 1997 guarantees 90 breasfeeding during the irst year following basic amount every three years. In August 2008, maternity beneits.
calendar days of paid maternity leave that can be delivery (Aricle 184). However, according to the amount of medical bonus was 2500 Indian
taken either before or ater delivery (Aricle 182). BFC, 67% of factories monitored do not comply rupees which has been later raised in 2011 to
Women are also guaranteed 50% wages during with this provision. Many women are required 3500 Indian rupees (Secion 8).
maternity leave (Aricle 183). However, these to choose between leaving their jobs in order to Recommendaions
beneits are only applicable for women who have breasfeed—thereby losing their only income; or
worked coninuously for a minimum of one year to take them to private day-care centers where
In all 4 factories surveyed for the ILO at the
for this study, all 50 workers
at the factory. The requirement of uninterrupted
service disadvantages women hired under FDCs
they are fed with low-quality formula milk.
reported that women are ired Internaional Labour
who are unlikely to have coninuous employment. India
(CCHR 2014). from their jobs during their Conference, 2016
India’s Maternity Beneits Act, 1961 protects pregnancy.
Since garment factory workers in Cambodia are employment of women in establishments and As detailed in this report on the Gap supply
predominantly women, lack of access to adequate provides for maternity and other related beneits. chains in Cambodia and India, there is an urgent
In all 4 factories surveyed for this study, all 50
reproducive and maternal health services is Female workers are enitled to a maximum of need for global mechanisms to monitor and
workers reported that women are ired from their
a signiicant issue. As early as 2012, workers 12 weeks of maternity leave. Out of these 12 regulate GVCs and GPNs. The ILO—the only global
jobs during their pregnancy. Permanent workers
organizaions began reporing that pregnant weeks, six weeks leave is post-natal leave. In triparite insituion—has a unique role to play in
report being forced to take leaves without pay for
women were regularly threatened with dismissal case of miscarriage or medical terminaion of seing standards for all of the actors that impact
the period of their pregnancy. Contract, piece rate
fundamental principles and rights at work.
64 65
be at least as efecive and comprehensive 3.2. Promote sector-based and transnaional by authoritaive actors within GVCs that
The ILO Triparite declaraion of principles as the UN Guiding Principle on Business and collecive bargaining and urge countries to contribute to violaions of fundamental
concerning mulinaional enterprises and social Human Rights and exising OECD mechanisms, remove naional legal barriers to these forms of principles and rights at work, including but not
policy (MNE Declaraion), 2006 provides a including the 2011 OECD Guidelines for collecive acion. limited to atacks on freedom of associaion,
good staring point. However, within the MNE Mulinaional Enterprises. 3.3. Expand work towards the eliminaion of collecive bargaining, forced overime, wage
Declaraion, MNE refers only to subsidiaries or 1.2. The Convenion should include the forced labour, including promoing raiicaion thet and forced labour.
franchises. Accordingly, GVCs and GPNs in their following components, among others: and implementaion of the Forced Labour 4.5. Since women represent the greatest
current form are not covered by this Declaraion. 1.2.1. Imposiion of liability and sustainable Convenion, 1930 (No. 29), 2014 Protocol majority of garment workers, the situaion
The need of the hour is for the ILO to clarify and contracing, capitalizaion and/or other to the Forced Labour Convenion 1930 and of women should be urgently included in
update its standards and mechanisms to protect requirements on lead irms to ensure accompanying Recommendaion. monitoring programmes to assess the spectrum
workers employed by transnaional corporaions accountability throughout the GVC. 3.4. Coninue programs to ensure social of their clinical, social and personal risks.
(TNCs) across vast GPNs. 1.2.2. Establishment of a Global Labour protecion, fair wages and health and safety at 4.6. Require an urgent, epidemiological study
Inspectorate with monitoring and every level of GVCs. into deaths and disabiliies resuling from
TNCs and their suppliers have a duty to enforcement powers. condiions of work and life of garment workers.
obey naional laws and respect internaional 1.2.3. Publicly accessible transparency and This informaion should be made available
standards—especially those pertaining to traceability provisions. publicly and to internaional agencies.
realizaion of the fundamental principles and 1.2.4. Speciic provisions that address the
rights at work. A number of ILO core labor special vulnerability of migrant workers on
4. Convene research to inform ILO global 5. Organize a Triparite Conference on the
standards, such as the Forced Labour Convenion, GVCs.
supply chain programming, including: adverse impact of contracing and purchasing
1930 (No. 29), 2014 Protocol to the Forced 1.2.5. Speciic provisions that address the
pracices upon migrant workers rights. This
Labour Convenion 1930 and accompanying special vulnerability of women workers on
4.1. Research on adverse impacts of TNC conference should focus on:
Recommendaion, already protect workers GVCs.
purchasing pracices upon 5.1. Protecion of migrants rights as conferred
in value chains. However, as this report 1.2.6. Limits on the use of temporary,
4.1.1. Core labour standards for all under the UN Internaional Convenion on the
details, changes in the modern workplace and outsourced, self-employed, or other forms
categories of workers across value chains. Protecion of the Rights of all Migrant Workers.
globalizaion of value chains has opened up new of contract labor that limit employer
4.1.2. Wages and beneits for all categories and Members of their Families.
gaps in the protecion of fundamental principles liability for worker protecions.
of value chain workers. This research should 5.2. The intersecion of migrant rights and ILO
and rights at work. In addiion to clarifying the
aim to saisfy basic needs of workers and iniiaives to promote Decent Work in Global
applicaion of exising standards in global value
2. Pursue a Recommendaion on human rights their families. Supply Chains.
chains, the ILO should set new standards and
due diligence that takes into account and builds 4.1.3. Access to fundamental rights to food,
enforcement mechanisms and encourage naional
upon exising due diligence provisions that housing, and educaion for all categories of
governments to do the same.
are evolving under the United Naions Guiding value chain workers and their families.
Principles on Business and Human Rights and 4.2. Research into the range of global actors
The following recommendaions emerge from our
the 2011 OECD Guidelines for Mulinaional that may have leverage over GVCs including
experience promoing the rights of workings in
Enterprises. investors, hedge funds, pension funds and GVC
global value chains.
networks that deine industry standards such as
1. Given the well-documented and rampant Free on Board (FOB) prices.
3. Take the following complementary measures
exploitaion of workers and resources by MNEs 4.3. Research into the types of technical
to protect workers employed in global value
operaing through GVCs, and noing the limits on advice needed by OECD government
chains:
regulaion under naional legal regimes, the ILO paricipants taking a muli-stakeholder
3.1. Recognize the right to living wage as a
should move towards a binding legal convenion approach to address risks of adverse impacts
human right and establish living wage criteria
regulaing GVCs. associated with products.
and mechanisms.
1.1. Standards under this convenion must 4.4. Research into mechanisms deployed
BIBLIOGRAPHY 66 67
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