Impactt Ltd » blog-Bangladesh-labourstandards http://www.impacttlimited.com Making what’s good for workers, work for business. Mon, 14 May 2012 12:54:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Asda, Tesco and Primark in the firing line over labour standards http://www.impacttlimited.com/2008/12/06/asda-tesco-and-primark-in-the-firing-line-over-labour-standards http://www.impacttlimited.com/2008/12/06/asda-tesco-and-primark-in-the-firing-line-over-labour-standards#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:17:08 +0000 Jonathan Sandars http://www.impacttlimited.com/2008/12/06/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.

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