INTERNATIONAL TEXTILE, GARMENT AND LEATHER WORKERS’ FEDERATION

For immediate release: November 1 2007

Politicians Must Drive 'Decent Work' in India's Garment Industry

India's garment sector risks lasting damage unless the government takes a clear lead in efforts to root out child slavery in the industry, the General Secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation, the global union for textiles and clothing, Neil Kearney warned today.

Speaking on France's TV Channel 24, Mr. Kearney said it was extremely disappointing that when nearly all the players involved were actively working to solve the problems thrown up by the discovery of trafficked children in India's garments supply chain,  some politicians were in denial mode - flailing around for scapegoats rather than joining in efforts to clean up the industry.

Said Mr. Kearney, "It is nonsense to talk about external sabotage and retaliatory measures against trading partners in the same week that police raids are resulting in the rescue of trafficked slave children and the
courts are publicly deeming these as "bonded labour". Such talk appears out of touch with reality and further endangers the industry's reputation at a time when it desperately needs to show that it recognises the
seriousness of the issue and is determined to tackle it head-on!

"Nobody wants to see India losing these orders and the jobs that go with them. Trade unions and others have pressed Gap Inc., the buyer involved, to stay with the offending supplier and jointly work to bring them into full compliance with Indian law and international labour standards. We are confident that they will do so and we welcome their commitment to work with the Indian authorities to support the rehabilitation of the children involved, getting them back into school while enabling their families to replace any lost income. Hopefully, in similar situations, all other buyers will make the same efforts and follow the same lead.

"Politicians must join this effort, indicate support for eliminating child labour by creating good quality education for all children and putting in place an efficient and effective labour and factory inspectorate to
oversee workplace conditions. This would provide a major boost to the industry's international competitiveness by sending a clear message that India means business and is determined to grow its textile and garments exports on the back of decent work", concluded Mr. Kearney.

 - ends-

The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation is a global union federation bringing together 220 affiliated organisations in 110 countries with a combined membership of 10 million workers.
 For more information, contact:
 Neil Kearney (General Secretary) at 32/475932487 (mobile) or
nkearney@itglwf.org
 ITGLWF Secretariat at tel: 32/02/511.26.06, fax: 32/02/511.09.04 or
office@itglwf.org
 Visit our website at www.itglwf.org

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National Consumers League Press Release

For Release: October 30, 2007
Contact: Heather Horiuchi, heatherh@nclnet.org, 202-835-3323

CONSUMER WATCHDOG GROUP COMMENDS RETAIL GIANT FOR PULLING PRODUCTS TAINTED BY CHILD LABOR, BUT CRITICIZES ‘GAP’ IN AUDITING SYSTEM

Washington, DC, October 30, 2007 -- Just weeks away from the beginning of the busy holiday shopping season, a major American retail clothing company, Gap Inc. has been found to have within its supply chain a vendor that was recently revealed to have utilized child slave labor in the course of production. The National Consumers League, the convener and co-chairing organization of the national Child Labor Coalition, issued the following statement in reaction to news that Gap Inc. has dropped a line of products that were discovered to have been made in sweatshop conditions by bonded child laborers – a form of slavery - in New Delhi. Children as young as 10 said they worked 16 hours a day for no pay, and the original report, which appeared in the British Observer newspaper as a result of that paper’s own investigation, described the factory as a “derelict industrial unit … smeared in filth, the corridors flowing with excrement from a flooded toilet.”

“This incident of child labor abuse underscores how important it is that companies vigilantly monitor their total supply chain – from company-owned manufacturing facilities, to contractors, to subcontractors,” said Darlene Adkins, Vice President for Public Policy at NCL and coordinator of the CLC. “This is especially critical when you are doing business in a part of the world where there's high incidence of child labor and bonded labor. NGOs believe the number of child laborers in India to be at 55 million and there are approximately ten million child bonded laborers. NCL calls upon companies contracting overseas to be vigilant in their oversight of labor conditions and encourages them to use third-party, independent monitoring.”

“The National Consumers League commends Gap Inc. for its response to reports revealing bonded child labor in the manufacturing of one of its product lines. It is imperative for a company with Gap’s clout and size to act as it did, destroying the tainted products in question, rather than allowing them to make their way to store shelves. It’s the expected moral path, but it’s also the legal one,” said Adkins. “According to federal law, the importation into the US of products made overseas by forced child labor is illegal.”

“What happens next is crucial, both for the children affected by these practices, and for Gap’s public relations crisis. There must be an appropriate response regarding the welfare of the children involved,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “These young children must be immediately compensated for their work, despite the illegality of their employment, restored to their families, and a process of rehabilitation for these youngsters must begin. It is the responsibility of Gap, Inc. to work to prevent this from happening again and NCL urges them to work with credible, local nongovernmental organizations and trade unions.”

“When consumers learn that abuse of children is involved in the making of a product, they will steer clear of that product,” said Greenberg. “This should serve as a wakeup call for companies who are doing business overseas. American companies contracting with offshore vendors to manufacture their products are not beyond the watchful eyes of American consumers. These companies are responsible for what happens in their supply chain – whether its sweatshop or forced labor or product safety - and consumers will hold them accountable. Clearly, there were gaps in this retailer’s auditing system, and children are paying the price.” 

About National Consumers League and Child Labor Coalition

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  NCL convenes the Child Labor Coalition, a group of more than 30 organizations, representing consumers, labor unions, educators, human rights and labor rights groups, child advocacy groups, and religious and women’s groups.  It was established in 1989, and is co-chaired by the National Consumers League and the American Federation of Teachers.  Its mission is to protect working youth and to promote legislation, programs, and initiatives to end child labor exploitation in the United States and abroad.

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INTERNATIONAL TEXTILE, GARMENT AND LEATHER WORKERS’ FEDERATION

29th October 2007
Time to Scratch beneath the Surface to Root out Child Slavery

Gap Inc. took a global hammering at the start of the week as news emerged of child slavery in their Indian supply chain. But scores of other brands and garment retailers qualify for the same headlines by permitting sub-contracting in their sourcing in India and as many as twenty-five other countries, the global union representing garment workers claimed today.

Neil Kearney, General Secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) said, “Whether sourcing in Delhi, Istanbul, Jakarta or a host of other low-cost locations, brands and retailers permitting uncontrolled sub-contracting are likely to be no better than Gap and probably much worse. At least Gap placed a contractual obligation on suppliers to abide by a set of labour standards including a ban on child labour in their own premises and in those of their sub-contractors. Many others don’t even properly control their direct suppliers let alone think about sub-contractors.    

“While many of the leading brands and retailers have adopted codes of conduct aimed at ensuring basic workers rights in their supply chains,  these are usually only applied at direct supplier level and rarely at the myriad of sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors which play an increasingly important role in the supply chain

“Thus the very worst workplaces escape oversight or control allowing gross exploitation, including the use of trafficked children, to reign.

“It is time for a general spring-clean of the global garment industry. Every brand and retailer should be working overtime this weekend mapping their supply chains and including every supplier and every sub-contractor followed by an urgent review of working conditions in every workplace in the chain. Nobody wants these jobs to leave India, Pakistan or Indonesia but workplaces not complying with national labour law and international labour standards must be forced to do so immediately or be dropped in favour of those providing decent work.

“This must be a wake-up call for all brands and retailers. They must begin to use only a dedicated group of compliant suppliers with sub-contracting being permitted only in exceptional situations and only after the approval of the brand or retailer placing the order.

“And while putting the brands and retailers on the spot let’s not overlook the responsibility of governments to enact and enforce legislation protecting workers’ rights generally and especially shielding children from the cruelty of exploitation.

“Only a few days ago one Indian government minister was railing against trade unions and NGOs accusing them of damaging India by whistle-blowing on child labour and other workers’ rights abuses. He and his colleagues would be better placed listening to trade unions and others demanding action rather than attacking them.

“The abuse of children in workplaces across India is a disgrace. Urgent action by the government is needed at the educational and labour levels.  India must begin to provide access to good quality education for all children and it must develop a labour and factory inspectorate capable of eradicating child labour in every workplace.