Asda, Tesco and Primark in the firing line over labour standards
Asda, Tesco and Primark were plunged into the headlines again this week, as War on Want released a controversial report into the labour standards of some retailers’ Bangladeshi suppliers. The report, Fashion Victims II, is based on War on Want’s visit to 6 undisclosed factories in Bangladesh and involved speaking to 115 workers and collecting information using a questionnaire. The findings are typical of many garment factories in developing countries; workers working excessive hours – up to 14 per day in some factories, subsistence wages and controls on freedom of association. The report also attacks ‘dodgy audits’ which it claims fail to uncover many of labour standards issues. This is one of the chief challenges facing responsible companies working to improve labour practices, and indeed some leading companies are active in prompting ‘bog standard’ auditors to clean up their act.
At Impactt, we believe that it is only by prioritising the testimony of workers that auditors can truly understand the real picture of working conditions on a particular site. We must recognise, as War on Want maintain, that abuses are “systemic across garment factories in Bangladesh”. We would encourage companies to work actively with suppliers to find ways to listen to workers, hear what they say and work together to improve the lives of workers and the health of the garment industry. Change is possible at a micro level, but it is only through direct intervention, and true partnership that it can be realised.
At a macro level, we would encourage companies to work in collaboration with trade unions, NGOs and national Governments to create a trading environment that incentivises positive change.
1 Comment
I saw the War on Want report before it was published.I have to say that, I do not think it is representative at all of Bnagaldesh’s garment industry. Currently, Bangladesh has more than 5,500 factories and they have visited only 6 factories and previously met 60 workers (2005) and latest 115 workers, and they seems have chosen six bad factroies. To be a proper study, they should look atleast 15% factories of different categories and they should interview to 15% of workforce.But they have not done this.So the study does not have the professional research character.
I believe, this study is completely unfair,biased and on purposes, that they have chosen certain factories to put these industrial sector in a bad light, and to support their opinions. It is all negative, and none of it possitive at all.
Nor have they been polite enough to publish this report first in Bangladesh, so it can be seen and discussed by the trade unions, labour support NGOs there, and by the government and the suppliers.
By criticizing buyer’s audit (Dodgy audits) also indictes that they are uncomfortable with the efforts of remediation and capacity building of the factiories towards enforcing the social and legal compliance that enable the improvement of the working conditions and labour standards.
The garment industry has provided a way forward for millions of women in Bangldesh. It is the begining of a women’s movement for greater economic empowerment.For now, there is no other alternative sector where women can work at that scale.I represent women workers in Bangladesh. Such types of reports is just damages our prospects.