. ..... in Australia that the Tamil Nadu garment industry m
Dressed It is a little known fact that men and women, boys and girls are trafficked to work in the cotton industry. It is also a fact that most people do not consider this when buying their clothes. Lured in by fashionable clothes do we stop and think about how the cotton is spun, dyed and woven in factories? Likewise are businesses aware of the unethical and at times criminal behaviour of their suppliers?
A report by LexisNexis® and STOP THE TRAFFIK to investigate the link between cotton and human trafficking.
Contents Definition of Terms _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 Facts & Figures on Human Trafficking _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 The LexisNexis® Human TraffickingAwareness Index™ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5 Fast Facts on the Textile Industry and Cotton _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6 What is the Link Between Cotton and Human Trafficking? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7 Cotton Seed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 8 Cotton Harvesting _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 Ginning _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 Spinning and Weaving _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14 Cut-Make-Trim_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 16 Towards Change _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 22 As a Consumer You Have a Powerful Voice_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 28 What Steps Can a Business Take? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 31 Endnotes _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 32
2
AUTHOR Jantine Werdmüller von Elgg Jantine is Global Project and Development Coordinator at STOP THE TRAFFIK, an NGO which exists to prevent human trafficking by building resilient communities across the world. Jantine joined STOP THE TRAFFIK in 2010 and has designed and implemented projects in the UK, Brazil, Slovakia and the US. Jantine also works with the private sector on the development and delivery of STOP THE TRAFFIK’s Finance Against Trafficking initiative.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Definition of Terms
"Human trafficking is defined as the trade in humans including by use of threat or the force, or other forms of coercion, for the purpose of exploiting those humans, such as for sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, and extraction of organs or tissues. As reported in The Human Trafficking Handbook (edited and collated by award-winning human rights barrister Parosha Chandran) it is, along with arms dealing and the illegal drugs trade, one of the three largest criminal industries in the world, with an estimated $32 billion in annual profits." Tessa-Jane Beaumont, Legal Director for LexisNexis® International
Forced labour
Child Work
Child Labour
“Forced or compulsory labour shall mean all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.” 1
In some developing countries around the world it is seen as normal for children to engage in work e.g. helping on their parents’ farm. Child work remains a means of socialisation and education, and skills development prepares children for their future adult life. Parents, relatives or community members may be involved in training the child in a particular trade.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) characterises the term ‘child labour’ as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.
Bonded labour/Debt bondage The “status or condition arising from a pledge by a debtor of his personal services or of those of a person under his control as security for a debt if the value of these services as reasonably assessed is not applied towards the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined”. 2
That said, it should also be noted that children have rights as stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, “which include rights to adequate food, shelter, clean water, formal education, primary health care, leisure and recreation, cultural activities and information about their rights.”
It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children and interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to: ЉЉ attend school; ЉЉ obliging them to leave school prematurely; or ЉЉ requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. 3
The Worst Forms of Child Labour The Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) is defined by Article 3 of ILO Convention 182: ЉЉ all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children ЉЉ the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution ЉЉ the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities ЉЉ work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.4
The ILO Minimum Age for Employment Convention (C138) delimits the age at which children are allowed to work as age 15. Light work, as long as it does not hamper school attendance, is allowed at 13 and 14. 3
Facts & Figures on Human Trafficking “Traffickers range from opportunistic individuals to criminal organisations to employment recruiting companies, experts say. Victims don’t fit a single profile, varying in gender, age, education level, origin and other factors. The control exercised over a victim by a trafficker is sometimes physical and always psychological. Many times the trafficker is keeping them in a state of limbo and hope, that this will somehow get better if they just comply with a set of demands or requirements or obligations,” says Gary Haugen, a former Justice Department official and founder of International Justice Mission.5 Due to the hidden and illegal nature of human trafficking, gathering statistics on the scale of the problem is difficult. Profits from human trafficking are estimated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to be $32 billion annually.6 The estimated amount of money spent on addressing human trafficking is just US$350 million.7 According to the International Labour Organisation 2012 Global Estimate of Forced Labour, there are some 20.9 million people in forced labour, bonded labour and commercial sexual servitude at any given time, which is echoed in the 2014 Trafficking In Persons Report by the US State Department.8 The 2013 Global Slavery Index estimates that there are 29.8 million people in modern slavery globally.9 Matt Friedman, an international human trafficking expert, says that “there are 1.1 million new victims a year, which is 3,000 victims a day, 125 per hour”.10 These statistics could represent an underestimation, but are the most credible numbers available. 4
"In 2013 there were 4,746 convictions of human trafficking worldwide, which was an upward trend 11 from 2012.” Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador-at-Large, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the US government
The LexisNexis® Human Trafficking Awareness Index™ Using a licensed collection of the most influential news sources from more than 120 countries, the LexisNexis® Human Trafficking Awareness Index™ measures media coverage of human trafficking to highlight key trends at national and global levels.
The Index is intended to support the work of campaigners and other organisations in understanding perceptions of human trafficking in its various forms. This report was developed in partnership with STOP THE TRAFFIK as part of this Rule of Law initiative. STOP THE TRAFFIK (www.stopthetraffik.org) is a global campaigning organisation working to prevent human trafficking. For further information on the LexisNexis® Human Trafficking Awareness Index™ please visit bis.lexisnexis.co.uk/blog or email
[email protected]. This report focuses on the 2,618 English language articles identified in the LexisNexis® Human Trafficking Awareness Index™ directly relating to human trafficking and the global garment supply chain in the period 1 January
2013 until 31 March 2014. Representing a tiny fraction of the articles within the Nexis database they nonetheless provide deep insight into this issue with 294 of these articles directly mentioning cotton. We examine the link between cotton and human trafficking by analysing: ЉЉ the different tiers in the fashion supply chain in which trafficking occurs ЉЉ media coverage of countries involved in the fashion industry across the world related to the issue ЉЉ how Non-Governmental Organisations drive media awareness and influence key initiatives for change ЉЉ the role companies have to play in establishing a traffik-free fashion industry
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1. COTTON SEED
Fast Facts on the Textile Industry and Cotton Worth over US$ 1 trillion worldwide Contributes to 7% of world exports Employs approximately 26 million people12 “Through the products that we buy and consume, the clothes we wear, the chocolate that we eat, the tea that we drink we are intimately connected with countless individuals and communities around the world. It is becoming ever more evident that human trafficking and exploitation are deep seated issues within the complex supply chains producing these products. As consumers in a globalised world I believe that we have the power to stop human trafficking in our generation.” Kate Dangerfield, Global Campaigns and Communications Coordinator, STOP THE TRAFFIK 6
The planting and cultivating of the cotton plant. This part of the cotton producing process requires long hours of cleaning, weeding, seeding, hauling water to fields, then standing and individually cross-pollinating each flower by hand.13
2. COTTON harvesting
3. GINNING
This is where the cotton is picked from the plant. During the harvesting season, children and adults who do not live close to the harvest must camp in the cotton fields, often in very poor living conditions, including shortages of portable water and inadequate sanitation.
Separating the fibre from the seeds. In the gin, the cotton is dried, cleaned and compressed into bales. Children as young as five years old can be recruited and sometimes forced to work in cotton fields or ginning factories for little or no pay and, in many cases, at the expense of their education.14
4. SPINNING AND WEAVING
5. CUT, MAKE, TRIM
Turning the cotton fibre into thread and fabric which includes spinning, weaving, dying, bleaching, calendering and compacting.
Turning the cotton fabric into a garment which includes cutting, stitching, sewing, printing, embroidery, labelling, checking, ironing and packaging.
What is the Link Between Cotton and Human Trafficking?
The global economy has given consumers across the world access to a diverse and ready supply of inexpensive goods including food, electronics, consumer goods, products and clothing.15 Many of our clothes are made of cotton, the garment supply chain is long and complex. At several points in the chain, human trafficking is prevalent; from the agricultural tiers to the industrial phases.16 “Forced labour is also found in fabric dying and mining of minerals for zippers and snaps.” 17
Mani, a 14-year-old girl, worked in the cotton fields in Karnataka state (see page 8). The landowner was abusive when Mani or other children working in the field did anything he did not like such as slowing down due to the long hours of backbreaking work, sun, intense heat and fumes of the pesticides. “He scolded us with bad words and would strike us on the legs, back and shoulders [with a tree branch],” Mani said. But because a farmer had loaned her parents 20,000 rupees (approx. US$ 326), in exchange for four years of their daughter’s labour, she could do nothing. Mani was ultimately freed and returned to school. Most child cotton workers never see the inside of a classroom. 18
Thousands of children work in India’s cotton seed industry, many of them trafficked or trapped in debt bondage. They work long hours, often for little or even no pay, are exposed to toxic chemicals and pesticides which can result in severe health problems or death.19
Apparel is one of the top industries plagued by human trafficking.21
According to 2005 research almost 400,000 children in India, mostly girls between 7 and 14 years of age are working 14 to 16 hours per day in the Indian cotton fields.20
7
Cotton Seed Rajasthan
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES NEWS REPORTED THAT:
“The health of children working with cotton is damaged by pesticides used during production - exposure causes the youths to suffer from headaches, physical weakness, disorientation, convulsions and respiratory ailments.”22
Gujarat
Andhra Pradesh
The Indian states where most human trafficking cases were reported between 2009 and 2012 were all in the south of the country, according to the Home Ministry data:
1,379 cases in Karnataka
23
2,244 cases in Tamil Nadu 2,157 cases in Andhra Pradesh 8
Karnataka Tamil Nadu
UNICEF pledged to give support to safeguard children from trafficking in the Indian state Rajasthan, but the state’s labour department failed to use the funds within the agreed period.24
Gujarat In July 2013 Indian newspapers reported several child trafficking operations undertaken by both the police and NGOs in Gujarat, which resulted in many child trafficking victims being rescued from being forced to work in the cotton fields. 25 In one case 39 children, 20 boys and 19 girls, aged 12-14 years were rescued. Three traffickers were arrested. 26 ChildFund India was reported to be one of the NGOs. The NGO has worked in the region for more than five years focusing on child trafficking. They believe that although the situation has improved over time, child trafficking in the cotton fields in GUJARAT is still a large issue. 27
20 BOYS AND 19 GIRLS AGED 12-14 WERE RESCUED FROM BEING FORCED TO WORK IN THE COTTON FIELDS.28 A recent initiative by UNICEF and the IKEA Foundation in GUJARAT to form adolescent girls’ networks across all 3,450 villages in the state aims to identify children who are out of school and to try to get them back into education. By June 2013 they had identified 61,827 out-of-school children. 29 Being out of school makes children more vulnerable to trafficking.
Rajasthan In RAJASTHAN, most of the trafficked children are forced into farming cotton. The majority of the children are trafficked from Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkland. 30
9
The top 10 Cotton-producing countries produce 89% of the total world cotton crop 31
Cotton Harvesting 3 27%
9
6
8
1 2
25%
4 5 7
10 "Of the top 10 cotton producers in the world, [...] Australia is the only country not to use child labour.32"
11% 8%
1 10
2
3
4
6%
5
4% 6
4% 7
1
2%
1%
1%
8
9
10
Based on data from 2013/2014.
2 3 4 5 33
China India United States Pakistan Brazil
Uzbekistan Australia 8 Turkey 9 Greece 10 Argentina 6 7
[The Cotton Campaign report] says cotton from the 2013 harvest in Uzbekistan is destined primarily for firms in China and Bangladesh, and secondarily for firms operating in Uzbekistan, such as Daewoo International and Indorama.34 Uzbekistan
China
Pakistan
India
In 2013 Uzbekistan was downgraded in the Trafficking In Persons Report by the US Department of State to Tier 3, the lowest rank. Radio Free Europe reported in June 2013 that the NGO Human Rights Watch found that “for the 2012 harvest, the Uzbek government forced over 1 million of its own citizens - children and adults, including its teachers, doctors, and nurses - to harvest cotton in abusive conditions on threat of punishment.” 35
Although many articles address human trafficking linked to the garment industry in China, not many mention trafficking during the harvest of cotton in China. One article mentions: “China is number two in terms of world economics (the US is still number one but likely to lose this status to China in 10 to 15 years’ time) and is also number two in the [US Department of Labour’s] list of product groups where forced labour is used with 11 [products]; these are garments, footwear, cotton, decorations, electronics, artificial flowers, toys, fireworks, nails, bricks and coal.”36
The Global Slavery Index which was launched by the NGO Walk Free Foundation in October 2013 ranks Pakistan third with regard to ratio population and amount of enslaved people. Pakistan also ranks third regarding total number of enslaved people. According to the Index Pakistan has 2.1 million people living under conditions of slavery, many of which are in bonded labour, particularly in agriculture and brick kilns. 37
Reuters reported in October 2013 that India “is expected to have a ‘bumper’ cotton crop this year. For fiscal year 2012-2013, India earned $8.94 billion from cotton exports, nearly 3 percent of the total export revenue.”38
The Cotton Campaign said that despite the presence of ILO observers during the 2013 harvest for the first time, government-led forced labour still continues. The report states that the Uzbek government introduced extensive measures to create an impression of "voluntary work in cotton fields," especially for visiting ILO monitors but “once again coerced more than a million citizens to cultivate and pick cotton.” 39
Aidan McQuade, Director Anti-Slavery International: "Putting pressure on Uzbekistan to end it can work; as a result of it, this year's harvest saw fewer younger children involved, but only with an increased proportion of older children - up to 17 years of age - forced to pick cotton alongside adults." He said: "It's a real action from brands, governments and international bodies not empty declarations - that is needed to stop the slavery in the Uzbek cotton industry once and for all."40 11
India is estimated to have as many as 500,000 child cotton workers - itself an illegality since no one under the age of 16 can legally work in India under the constitution.41
Ginning The BBC reported that girls as young as ten or eleven years old pick and process raw cotton in brutal conditions - one end of a fabulously lucrative global business that ultimately provides clothing for high-end shops in the west.42
“The workers’ lives are terrible,” labour activist Jignesh Mevani told the BBC. “They are not paid the minimum wage. There are no safety precautions. There are many children.” Wealthy landowners exploit the cheap labour (most of whom are ‘tribal’ peoples from impoverished rural areas). “[One- third] of the [cotton] workers may be children,” said Sudhir Katiyar of Prayas Centre for Labour Research and Action. “Children are at every stage of the process, seeding cotton, picking it and ginning and beyond, too.”
"The child workers are often in a state of debt bondage since their employers pay an advance to the children’s parents and then they must work to meet the amount paid. The children generally work at least nine hours a day, but during the winter, they often work up to 12 hours a day.” Not only are the children subject to financial exploitation and dangerous conditions, but they also are at risk of developing lung disease from the choking cotton dust."43
The International Labour Rights Forum stated in a report that the use of child labour in the production of cotton seed is particularly widespread in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
"Children, especially girls, are employed by farmers in order to cut costs as they are paid well below the minimum wage and the wages paid to adult workers" the ILRF said.44 12
Countries using forced labour for the production of cotton
The ten countries with the highest media coverage in the LexisNexis® Human Trafficking Awareness Index™ 2,277
India
2,075
China
1,004
Pakistan
265 111
Uzbekistan Kazakhstan
88 80 63
All these countries apart from Pakistan are also mentioned on the 2013 List of Goods Produced by Child Labour and Forced Labour for using child labour for the production of cotton.
Benin Tajikistan Burkina Faso
38 Turkmenistan 13
The reality
Spinning and Weaving
ЉЉ Women and girls are working in a hazardous environment but are not offered any health and safety equipment or training, resulting in chronic illness and many accidents ranging from injuries to death.56 ЉЉ They are subject to psychological and sometimes physical and sexual abuse.57
One of the complexities of the cotton supply chain is that cotton fibres from diverse origins are often blended and sold on which makes traceability very difficult.45 These cotton fibres are spun into thread that is woven to create cloth of which apparel is created at a later stage in the supply chain.46 The harvesting and cut-make-trim tiers of the supply chain have increasingly received attention from the media, NGOs, business and other stakeholders in recent years, whereas the spinning, weaving and dyeing stage has received little attention so far. Over the last decade, the garment industry in Tirupur, Coimbatore and surrounding regions of Tamil Nadu in South India has grown extensively and currently accounts for over 65% of India’s spinning units.47 The official statistics by the Tamil Nadu state government note that there are 1,685 cotton mills in Tamil Nadu.48 However, 14
field research by the NGO SAVE estimates that that there are more than 3,500 small, medium and large cotton mills in the state, many of which are unregistered and thus unmonitored.49 The owners of these cotton mills have created Sumangali50 schemes, which are a form of child labour and human trafficking. Traffickers who work as middle men for the factory owners target rural communities within as well as outside of the state of Tamil Nadu and deceive parents who often live in poverty. They make promises of a great opportunity for their unmarried daughters, mostly between 14 and 25 years old51; a scheme in which their daughters will be provided an apprenticeship in one of the cotton mills for the period of three years, including comfortable accommodation and three nutritious meals a day. They are promised a small allowance throughout the three years and on completion of the period, a lump sum of money (Rs 30,000 – 60,000 which is approx. US$ 500 1,000). 52 This lump sum payment is attractive to many families from poor economic backgrounds as it can be used to cover their daughters’ dowry. The practice of dowry is illegal in India, but is still prevalent amongst the population. 53 The parents are lured with beautiful brochures and happy testimonials. 54 The traffickers receive a commission of Rs 500 to 2,000 (US$ 8-33) per girl they bring to the factories. 55
ЉЉ The spinning units operate 24 hours a day, divided into three shifts a day.58 Working hours are reported to be often 12 hours (1.5 shifts) or more, without regular breaks and compensation. The girls and women work 6 to 7 days a week.59 ЉЉ The women and girls live in guarded hostels run by the factory, often within the factory’s barbed-wired concrete walled premises and their freedom of movement is often restricted. Family are not allowed to visit. The living conditions in the hostels are very poor, with reports of a total of six toilets for over 250 people, ten girls or more living in very small rooms and not enough and bad quality food.60 ЉЉ There are rarely written contracts of employment; this makes it difficult for the girls to approach judiciary or officials for grievances or petitioning.61 ЉЉ Significant unreasonable deductions for lodging and food are being made to the allowance.62 ЉЉ The promised lump sum is not a bonus; even when considering the upper figures the total of the lump sum (Rs 60,000 approx. US$ 1,000) and the regular allowances (Rs 55 approx. US$ 0.90 daily stipend) do not even meet twothirds of the legal minimum wage in the state of Tamil Nadu.63 ЉЉ This lump sum payment is not paid out in at least 65% of the cases.64
“After a year and a half I became very ill and struggled to breathe. Doctors found cotton in my lung and I had developed TB. The mill management did not give me any money for treatment and refused to pay me for my year and a half’s work.”65 “Over 200,000 trafficked girls and women are trapped in the cotton mills in Tamil Nadu, India.” STOP THE TRAFFIK
Sumangali worker rescued through Court Action66 Name of the victim: Ms AJ Age 19 years Ms AJ was taken from her parents by a broker (human trafficker) to a mill and was employed in the cleaning section. She was told by the management that she would receive Rs 30,000 (approx. US$ 500) after completing a three year contract. She was not paid a monthly salary but was provided with food and lodging. She was tortured by the male workers but had no opportunity to inform her parents, she had no access to phone or any other means of
communication. At times, she was beaten with leather belts by the management if she refused to work. She had no money and could not escape from the mill premises. On hearing the issue, SAVE (a local NGO) visited the mill and managed to meet Ms AJ. The owner of the mill would not release her as she had only worked for a year. SAVE filed a petition in the Magistrate’s court to produce Ms AJ in court and to set her free. On hearing the complaints and the evidence produced before the Magistrate, the court set her free.
“Why does a garment manufacturing centre need barbed wires around it? That itself is an indication that there is something fishy.”67 Sindhu Puzhakkal, a certified fraud examiner from Vallikkunnu, Malappuram ‘Fancy Anitha, of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) an NGO that works on anti-human trafficking in Tirupur, said: “Workers in Tirupur, who hail from the north, function as brokers and bring children here for work. They pay a small advance to the poverty-ridden families and bring their children away with a promise to pay them more. In this process, thousands of children employed within the units lose their childhood, education and their rights.”68 Indian media reported that a large police operation had taken place in Karnataka in which 42 girls and 16 boys were rescued when they were being
taken to cotton mills in the Coimbatore district of neighbouring state Tamil Nadu. Four people were arrested on charges of human trafficking.69 The NGO Oasis India participated in a police raid in July 2013 in which they chased a bus and encountered 78 trafficked people. Many of them were below the age of 15 and were being trafficked from their village in the state Karnataka to cotton mills in Tamil Nadu. Anita Kanaiya, co-director of Oasis India, stated in a radio interview with ABC in Australia that the Tamil Nadu garment industry manufactures for big companies in the west.70
More info: www.stopthetraffik.org/campaign/fashion 15
Cut-Make-Trim
Export value by country 71 EIGHT COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST ESTIMATED PERCENTAGE OF COTTON GARMENT AND TEXTILE EXPORT VALUE Country
Value (thousands of dollars)
As % of country total exports
As % of world total exports
China Bangladesh Vietnam Turkey Cambodia Pakistan Sri Lanka India
45,411,359 19,371,920 11,045,711 7,874,625 4,936,432 3,167,203 3,628,697 4,048,195
2.3% 74.1% 10.5% 5.4% 67.9% 12.7% 37.4% 1.4%
32.35% 24.51% 12.00% 7.10% 6.89% 5.78% 4.98% 4.94%
The info in the table is based on 2011/2012 data from the UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics.
16
Focus on Bangladesh
Rana Plaza garment factory collapse 24th April 2013 ЉЉ 1,129 workers killed80 ЉЉ More than 1,500 workers injured81 ЉЉ Worst disaster in the history of the global garment industry82 ЉЉ Third major industrial accident in the country since November 201283 ЉЉ Factory made apparel for more than a dozen major international fashion brands, including Benetton, J.C. Penney, Wal-Mart84
Garment factories: 5,00073
Garment-industry workers: 4 to 5 million74
Bangladeshi labour costs: US$ 0.32 per hour (one-fifth of China’s hourly labour cost)76
People depending on income from the garment industry: 20 million75
Building inspectors in beginning of 2013: 4077
Vietnam
After the disaster Bangladesh
Population: more than 160 million72
ЉЉ Wakeup call to the world, both consumers and brands; if workplace safety was absent, what other human rights might have been violated? Were any of the workers trafficked?85
World’s second-largest apparel producer (after China)78
Support from EU: the EU allows Bangladesh to ship garments to any of its countries, the world’s biggest trading block, duty free and quota free79
ЉЉ In the EU: many retailers agreed to sign onto a legally binding European accord that requires retailers to fund fire safety and building improvements at the Bangladesh factories used within their supply chain. Measures to improve workplace health and safety, particularly traceability, transparency and auditing have strong overlap with detecting and preventing trafficking. ЉЉ In the US: a non-legally-binding effort has been less successful, with companies like Walmart and GAP citing legal liabilities for their refusal to sign on.86
Other incidents in the Bangladeshi garment industry Since 1990, there have been more than 8 separate incidences of unsafe factories that have collapsed or caught on fire killing more than 346 workers.
17
2
Cut-Make-Trim A focus on garment production around the globe 1
2
brazil
In 2005, the National Pact for the Eradication of Slave Labour was launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Repórter Brasil, the Ethos Institute and the Social Observatory Institute. The Pact is a voluntary commitment which has been signed by over 200 companies committing to maintain their supply chain free of forced labour and human trafficking. From 2013 the Government, with ILO support, has started to particularly address human trafficking and forced labour in the textile industry.87 The 2013 Trafficking In Persons Report mentions that Brazil is a destination country for men, women, and children who have been trafficked from Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and amongst others into garment factories and textile sweatshops in metropolitan centres.88 While the government, businesses, civil society organisations at federal, state and municipality level in Brazil have been actively working on addressing the problem of trafficking in the country, instances of the problem still persist. “We have to find a scheme that prevents human trafficking and controls labour migration,” Rodrigo Souza do Amaral, a Brazilian foreign ministry diplomat, told the Agencia Brasil news agency. Brazil’s labour ministry has been working on combatting human trafficking since 1995, and with the upcoming major sporting events in the country in 2014 (World Cup) and 2016 (Olympics) is focusing on investigations in the construction industry, cold storage facilities and textile production. Since 1995, approximately 44,000 people have been rescued. In Sao Paulo, a total of 50 sewing workshops, in which migrants were working up to 16 hours a day for starvation wages, have been shut down. Among the customers, according to the ministry, are internationally known companies such as Zara, Gap and Gregory, as well as the Brazilian chains Lojas Marisa and Pernambucanas.89
18
USA
Flor was exploited in a garment factory in Los Angeles, United States. She was forced to work 18 hours a day to make dresses that were sold in department stores. She had no opportunity to rest, given only 10 minutes to eat a small serving of food and slept in the workshop. Flor accepted the job promise in 2001 after one of her four children died for a health problem that was treatable but they could not afford the medical costs. To prevent another son from the same fate, Flor decided to take the job in the sewing workshop. On December 31, 2001 she came to Los Angeles and began to work in the sweat shop. She escaped after 40 days of confinement and asked to go to a church. A parishioner offered help and directed her to an institution dedicated to the defence of the rights of migrants who in turn reported the incident to the authorities.”90
3
china
The majority of human trafficking in China happens within its borders, but people are also trafficked from neighbouring countries and other countries into China for the purpose of exploitation, including forced labour in garment factories. 91 According to the Global Slavery Index there are between 2,800,000 and 3,100,000 victims of human trafficking in China. 92 Thi Thi Moe, a young Burmese girl, is one of the estimated 10,000 people from her country who are trafficked to China and other neighbouring countries each year. Moe was persuaded by a neighbour to work in China to earn money for her family who live off US$ 2 a day. A few days after she left, she phoned her family and said she was sold for nearly US$ 5,000 to a Chinese garment factory owner. She is kept in debt bondage until her family pays the factory owner US$ 5,000. Her family is not able to pay this. 93
1
6
6 5
3 4
4
nepal
Although garments from Nepal are not on the U.S. Department of Labour’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labour or Forced Labour, the media has reported on internal trafficking in the Nepali carpet and garment industry. Sanu Giri from the Child Workers In Nepal Concerned Centre Helpline said “While rescuing children from exploitative and hazardous working conditions, we found that 80 per cent were trafficked to the city with false promises of better life.” 94
7
5
8
pakistan
In September 2012 a fire in Karachi’s Baldia Town killed 250 garment workers. Although there is no evidence that trafficked people were amongst them, just like with the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh there have been concerns regarding human rights including human trafficking. The charge of murder against the owner of the factory in Karachi, Ali Enterprises is yet to be framed.95
russia
An article on the Trafficking In Persons Report mentioned a case of textile workers in the Moscow suburbs being beaten, poorly fed, refused medical care, and prohibited from leaving the factory. 96 Nguyen Thang, Executive Director, Boat People SOS, stated: “According to our reliable local independent sources of information, there are approximately 3,000 Vietnamese-owned sweatshops in and around Moscow alone, each employing from a few to over a hundred workers. Many of these workers are victims of [trafficking for] forced labour.” In 2012 his organisation reported 250 victims in just two Vietnamese-owned sweatshops around Moscow to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. “These victims were forced to work 15-18 hours, sometimes as much as 22 hours, a day. There was no holiday, no break on weekends. There was nothing left of their salaries after deductions for food and lodging. They were held captive day and night within the confines of the sweatshops, which operated in formerly abandoned Soviet-era military facilities. Many victims developed skin diseases for lack of sunlight. One victim later reported that in the two years of captivity she was allowed only twice to the facility’s backyard, where she had some fresh air. Those who managed to escape, when caught by the Russian police, would be returned to their traffickers. Some had been taken away and no longer heard of. Some were sold to other employers.” The factory owners were probably tipped off as when the police visited the premises they didn’t find any trafficked people and the Committee declared the case closed. 97
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Thailand
The garment industry is one of the biggest industries in Thailand, together with the fishery and sugar industries. These three industries combined employ 2.2 million people, of which more than a million work in the garment industry. The Thai News Service reported in March 2014 that since the Commerce Ministry’s Foreign Trade Department fears possible US trade sanctions, they have put eradication of child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in these industries at the top of their agenda. 98 Thai exports to the US are worth approximately US$ 22 billion annually (approximately 10 percent of the value of the country’s industrial-goods exports), of which garments average more than US$ 9.28 billion.99
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Vietnam
The US Department of Labour (DOL) added garments from Vietnam to the revised ‘List of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labour’ in July 2013.100 Inside U.S. Trade stated that “DOL cited “evidence of a trend of children, some trafficked to large cities from distant provinces, working under conditions of forced labour” in Vietnam, largely in small, unregistered work places.” In response to the Vietnamese comments that Vietnamese apparel should not be added to the list, DOL said that “its sources confirmed that systematic monitoring of forced or indentured child labour in the garment sector is limited and largely confined to the larger, registered factories. There is no evidence of systematic monitoring of child labour in smaller, unregistered workshops, DOL said.” 101
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Cut-Make-Trim
India in focus In the Global Slavery Index 2013 India ranks fourth with regard to prevalence of modern slavery and first in absolute terms of people being enslaved.102 The apparel export sector is critical for India in terms of revenue and employment.103 The industry is the country’s second largest employment provider after agriculture, and contributes to approximately 4% of India’s GDP, 14% of industrial production and 20% of the workforce in the organised manufacturing sector.104 The Indian apparel industry is predominantly cotton based.105 Web Newswire reported in November 2013 that the United States and the European Union together account for 80 per cent of India’s total apparel exports.106
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The Observer reported in February 2013 that 21 trafficked children, the youngest seven years old, were rescued from garment workshops in Delhi in police raids that month. The police found some of them hidden in sacks. These children had been working up to 16 hours a day for Rs 20 a week, equivalent to £0.24.107 Anti-Slavery International described the routine use of child labour and trafficking, specifically boys and young men aged 10 – 20, in the garment finishing industry (cut-maketrim stage) in Delhi in their 2012 report.108 In March 2013 The Times of India newspaper reported that over a two day period 284 trafficked children had been rescued from the hands of 55 traffickers. An official said that “The prime industries where children are employed are in manufacturing of bangles, embroidery and weaving of carpets. These products need soft hands to give the finesse. These children are then pressed to work for 14 to 16 hours a day on a meagre salary of Rs 800 to Rs 2,000 (approx. US$ 18-33) per month.”109
In July 2013 the Indian media reported that 39 trafficked children were rescued by the police and the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) from garment factories in Delhi. A 9-year old boy said he had to work 16-17 hours a day and was beaten.110 The founder of BBA believed that there had been a tip off as some of the youngest of the trafficked children working in the factory had been told to go outside and not admit to the police that they were working in the factory. The children had reportedly been trafficked from several Indian states with the promise of a better life for themselves and their families.111
Spreading the word is essential to stopping slavery. News coverage helps to engage people who don’t frequent human rights websites. Millions of potential supporters would take a stand against slavery if they knew it existed and could be overcome. Their collective voice will help anti-slavery efforts to grow and succeed. Terry FitzPatrick, theguardian.com 112
In April 2013 the police rescued 23 trafficked Indian and Nepalese children from five small garment and purse manufacturing units in Delhi. According to these children the factory owners had been tipped off and many of the estimated 100 children in the factories were moved from the premises before the police arrived. The poor uneducated parents of the children were lured into believing that the children would get an education and better livelihood opportunities than they could provide for them. Instead they were forced to work up to 18 hours a day for little or no pay.113
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Towards Change UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights There is no international law holding companies responsible for labour conditions offered by their subcontractors.114 However, there are guidelines which are well-known and respected with regard to human rights and commonly used as the standard of which the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are a key example. They were developed by Harvard Professor of International Affairs John Ruggie and adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011.115
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The Guiding Principles are “a set of universal standards designed to prevent companies from violating human rights in the course of their activities [including human trafficking] and ensuring that they provide adequate redress when such violations do occur. The Guiding Principles are based on the “Protect, Respect and Remedy” framework.”116
Finance Against Trafficking published a report in October 2013 on how companies can apply the Principles in the fight against human trafficking.117
The Huffington Post reported in May 2013 that the UN Working Group on business and human rights is “strongly recommending that the global garment industry adhere to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Such principles clearly state the obligations that businesses and governments have for the well-being of workers. According to Sulyandziga, “Human rights due diligence helps business understand better their impact on human rights throughout their value chains.” He added, “The UN Guiding Principles also spell out what to do when risks are discovered: identify your leverage and ability to work in partnership with other businesses, local authorities, workers and civil society to work towards sustainable solutions.” 118
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UK Modern Slavery Bill
Towards Change Government STOP THE TRAFFIK is committed to shining a light on human trafficking in business supply chains. We will never stop our campaign for businesses and government to live up to their responsibilities to do what is required of them by law to stop this crime.
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California Transparency in Supply Chains Act 2012 (SB 657) This Act, introduced in 2010, took effect on 1 January 2012. The Act requires companies doing business in California with annual worldwide gross receipts exceeding US$ 100 million to publicly disclose efforts they have taken to eliminate human trafficking and slavery from their supply chains.119 The Huffington Post wrote in August 2013 that “since the law came into effect most major companies have complied to varying degrees and the information should be readily available on their websites.” They also point out the usefulness for consumers: “The disclosure is a fantastic tool for consumers looking to shop smart and vote with their wallets against forced labour.” 120 However, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre reported differently with regard to companies’ compliance in February 2014. They stated that almost 400 companies issued statements in line with the Act but that their research highlighted that not all Californian companies are engaging with their commitments yet: “In outreach to 129 companies inquiring whether they have public statements in line with the 2010 California Transparency in Supply Chains Act SB-657, only 44 responded (of which 11 have now adopted a statement).” 121
In December 2013 a Draft Modern Slavery Bill was presented to the UK Parliament. STOP THE TRAFFIK welcomes the Modern Slavery Bill as a legislative framework to tackling human trafficking. However STOP THE TRAFFIK were disappointed that the draft Modern Slavery Bill failed to address trafficking within business supply chains. STOP THE TRAFFIK believe that it is imperative that the government strengthen the requirements for business to accept responsibility for the absence of forced or trafficked labour in their supply chains. Throughout 2014 STOP THE TRAFFIK activists have been campaigning for the UK government to include supply chain legislation within the Bill. STOP THE TRAFFIK are calling for an amendment to the Companies Act within the Modern Slavery Bill that will require large businesses to report on human trafficking and slavery within their supply chains. By including an amendment to the Companies Act within the Modern Slavery Bill, this will represent a first step in eradicating this crime. STOP THE TRAFFIK believe that a very simple amendment such as this stands the greatest chance of having a cascade effect throughout complex legal systems around the world, especially in the common law countries with very similar legislation. We must take the profits out of modern slavery.
For current information visit: www.stopthetraffik.org/gb/ modernslaverybill
Australia
“Australia is lagging behind a number of other developed consumer countries, most notably the US, in taking actions to encourage companies to ensure the goods they import and sell are free from human trafficking. Australian law recognises that slavery and human trafficking are serious offences wherever they occur but it has failed to offer any incentive for companies selling imported goods in Australia to ensure slavery and human trafficking have not been involved in the production of goods they are importing. No company has ever been prosecuted for importing goods where slavery and human trafficking have been involved in their production. Consumers have a right to believe their government has required all reasonable steps from companies to ensure the goods on store shelves are free of slavery and human trafficking in their production. STOP THE TRAFFIK Australia launched a major report in Canberra outlining steps the government needs to take to deal with the use of slavery in the production of goods imported into Australia. Research by the US Department of Labour and UN bodies has identified goods, including clothing, being imported into Australia where slavery and human trafficking have been involved in their production. In March 2013 then Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced: "I'm proud to announce a new whole-of-government strategy to reinforce ethical behaviour in procurement so that no firm providing goods or services to the Commonwealth is tainted by slavery or people-trafficking anywhere in the supply chain." To make this meaningful, STOP THE TRAFFIK is asking that Australia should follow the lead of the USA Administration and place the requirement on suppliers to provide evidence they have taken reasonable steps to ensure the products they are supplying are free of human trafficking, slavery or forced labour. We have ЉЉ Sent a petition with 7,474 signatures to the House of Representatives ЉЉ Sent over 15,000 post cards to the previous Attorney Generals ЉЉ Launched a Senate petition you can sign at www.change.org/en-AU/ petitions/australian-senate-slavery-free-guarantee ЉЉ Launched Unshackling the Laws Against Slavery, a major report outlining steps the government needs to take to deal with the use of slavery in the production of goods imported into Australia. www.stopthetraffik.org/australia/resource
“It is all too easy for consumers to be overwhelmed by the complexity of global supply chains; their choices unwittingly supporting systems that exploit and dehumanise people. In my view, it is incumbent on responsible businesses – those which are open and transparent – to ensure that human trafficking doesn’t exist in their production lines. This heinous crime will only ever truly be ended if businesses, society and governments recognise their individual responsibilities to root out trafficking wherever it takes place. In order for the UK Modern Slavery legislation to be effective and have real impact, our Government must ensure that the Bill explicitly includes supply chain legislation.” Steve Chalke, UN.GIFT Special Advisor on Community Action Against Human Trafficking”
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Towards Change The role of business The implications for the fashion industry The global economy has had many advantages for both consumers and producers, including low cost labour and inexpensive clothing. Unfortunately, one of the by-products is human rights violations including human trafficking. [As the evidence in this report has shown] long multi-tiered global supply chains, containing many levels of outsourcing and subcontracting can be a breeding ground for human trafficking.122 26
Ban is not the answer: address instead of avoid While the operations of apparel companies in developing nations can be exploitative, they are also a significant driver to help these nations and their citizens overcome poverty. These companies can provide decent jobs, investment, skills and tax revenues which are critical to the development of these nations. For this reason, it’s important that companies aren’t encouraged to shift their operations when exploitation becomes public, but rather, they seek to address the issues in their supply chain. Since the 1990s international fashion brands have started to discuss sustainable supply chain management, including social issues, several policies and practices have been developed in the industry.123 Faustina Pereira, Director of Human Rights and Legal Aid Services at Brac, an NGO in Dhaka, Bangladesh: “We are dealing with [the apparel sector] a sector that directly touches the lives and livelihoods of millions of individuals and their families, and directly contributes to lifting them out of abject poverty.” 124 Judy Gearhart, International Labour Rights Forum in response to the Bangladesh tragedy and big brands: “Now is not the time to walk away from the mess. [If they would go] who would force Bangladesh to change and keep scenes like this from happening again?” 125 Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) also stated in a joint report in 2011 that they disapprove of “cutting and running” and call on clothing companies to “use their leverage to bring about improvements.” 126 Wesfarmers statement at their Annual General Meeting in November 2013: “There have been terrible tragedies in factories in [Bangladesh] involving the garment industry. Some of us did consider pulling out of Bangladesh, but local and international NGOs and charities told our people who visited the country this would be the worst possible outcome for all parties. The garment industry is the key industry in Bangladesh. It employs over four million people and up to 20 million depend on the income it generates. Businesses like ours help to provide a pathway out of poverty and unemployment particularly for young women. But we needed to make sure we were doing everything we possibly could to ensure the people working in factories which supplied our businesses, principally Kmart and Target, were safe and treated properly. Guy Russo
“We are dealing with a sector that directly touches the lives and livelihoods of millions of individuals and their families, and directly contributes to lifting them out of abject poverty.”
Faustina Pereira, Brac (NGO in Dhaka) from Kmart, which already had extensive team on the ground, and subsequently Stuart Machin from Target, went to Bangladesh to ensure the systems we had in place, our business relationships and the standards applied to our supplier factories were what they should be. We have not considered opening our own factories as this is outside of our business model but we absolutely insist the correct wages are paid and that proper health and safety standards apply. We will not do business with substandard suppliers. I want to assure all our shareholders that this is an issue our business teams and our Board views with the utmost importance.” 127 In 1992 US senator Tom Harkin proposed the Child Labour Deterrence Act which was reintroduced in 1993. This controversial Act proposed a US boycott of import of all products that had used child labour at any stage in the supply chain. With the US being one of the largest apparel importers from Bangladesh where child labour is reality in the garment industry, this had a devastating impact on the Bangladeshi population, including the children. Faustina Pereira [director of human rights and legal aid services at Brac, an NGO in Dhaka, Bangladesh] says: “The intent and spirit of this bill was noble but its impact was devastating on countless families in Bangladesh who had relied on the contribution of their children for basic subsistence,” she says. “Overnight we had seen millions of families fall into further destitution as garment factory owners were terminating wholesale from their factories workers who were under 18 years old.” 128
Carolyn Kitto, STOP THE TRAFFIK Australia Coordinator: "For Western consumers, the complexity of the garment industry means it is difficult to know the true provenance of an article of clothing." But she says boycotts of developing countries such as India and Bangladesh, with millions of poor families and entire economies dependent on manufacturing, are counterproductive. "Tamil Nadu needs all of these factories to stay open." Instead, she says, consumers and Western brands need to ensure clothes are ethically sourced and made. "At the moment you can't make a perfect choice, but you can make a better choice," she says. "That's the difficulty with a garment, there are so many people who have touched it along the supply chain that could have been abused and exploited in the process."129
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As a Consumer You Have a Powerful Voice The large national and global brands that dominate the fashion world have a lot of power and influence over their supply chain. They will often dictate the terms, conditions and prices of the clothes they buy from their producers. Consumers can demand that these companies look beyond the cutmake-trim tier and start working on their supply chain transparency and use their influence to create change in their complete supply chain. It is vital that they use this influence to ensure human trafficking is not within their supply chain and take pro-active action to end it. Turning a blind eye is not acceptable. Currently it very difficult to know which brands or which shops sell items that are made with cotton that is free from human trafficking. Most retailers and fashion labels either don’t know where they buy their cotton from or choose not to make that information public. A recent report by Baptist World Aid Australia found that 93% of the fashion companies they surveyed did not know or chose not to disclose where their cotton was coming from.130 This isn’t good enough. STOP THE TRAFFIK believes that as consumers we have the right to know how, where and under what conditions the clothes we buy were made. We want to be able to choose Traffik-Free . STOP THE TRAFFIK’s Make Fashion Traffik-Free Campaign is campaigning to end trafficking in the fashion industry. The campaign specifically highlights the 200,000 women and girls trafficked into the Indian Sumangali scheme. Through this campaign STOP THE TRAFFIK are calling on the fashion industry to take action to end the Sumangali scheme and all forms of trafficking in the fashion industry and prevent others from being lured into that situation. 28
It may be in the clothes in your wardrobe at home. At "Fabric made the moment we don’t know. Fashion retailers and labels know. But we can change this. As consumers we by trafficked don’t have a powerful voice, we can use it to urge companies to change their behaviour so that they can tell us that the young women we are buying are Traffik-Free. We hope that the and girls may be clothes Make Fashion Traffik Free campaign will make people take and most critically, take action. We want to bolster in the t-shirt I am notice consumer awareness and change the lives of those in these factories in India.” wearing today. working Ruth Dearnley, CEO of STOP THE TRAFFIK
RAISE YOUR VOICE! Four simple actions you can take: Write a letter Deliver a Postcard Deliver a postcard to your favourite shop. Order our awareness raising postcards asking companies to take action. When you are next out shopping, deliver cards to your favourite high street stores to let them know that you want traffik-free fashion.
Social Networking - show and share Raise awareness amongst your family and friends. Show and share the MAKE FASHION TRAFFIK-FREE film clip: youtu.be/BQ1Wy5E36BQ
Clothes swap resource pack Use STOP THE TRAFFIK’s Clothes Swap resource pack. It contains everything you need to host a fun fashion event and raise awareness of this campaign. More information available here: www.stopthetraffik. org/campaign/fashion/what-you-can-do/237
www.stopthetraffik.org/fashion
Write to the CEO of your favourite shop or brand. Send an email or letter to the customer services department marked for the attention of the company CEO. Urge them to take action to ensure that no human trafficking takes place within their supply chain. STOP THE TRAFFIK has suggested text available here: www.stopthetraffik.org/ campaign/fashion/what-youcan-do/225 You can also show your favourite fashion firm that you care by sending them a message through Facebook or Twitter. Let them know that you want TRAFFIKFREE FASHION.
Certification Gershon Nimbalker, Baptist World Aid (part of the STOP THE TRAFFIK Australia coalition) says of the 41 companies, only 40-41% knew most of their first line manufacturers and looking further down the supply chain, the numbers got worse. Only 24% knew their textile producers and only 7% knew who farmed their cotton. "It's something the industry is struggling with. You need to know who your first line suppliers are and then work backwards," he says. "There are a few approaches to knowing your supply chain, some retailers develop their own from start to finish, while others take part in trace projects or make sure everything comes from certified sources through fair trade." The majority of the large retailers failed to trace their supply chains back to their origins, with the exception of Timberland. "It's clear once a business wants to find out how their products are made they can," Nimbalker says. "Chocolate companies have done it through closed supply chains where they know it from beginning to end, and they should be doing the same thing in fashion. It's very uncommon for fashion businesses to do this, but it's not as hard for them as, say, technology retailers, where there are many more steps in the supply chain."131
In the US, several online resources and apps for consumers have been developed to help them make responsible purchasing decisions in recent years: ЉЉ the Slavery Footprint app: http://slaveryfootprint.org 132 ЉЉ the Buycott app: http://www.buycott.com133 ЉЉ Free 2 Work app: www.free2work.org 134
Because of the complexity of the supply chain of a garment, certification is also complex. Surprisingly, many companies do not know who makes the garments they sell. Furthermore, the vast majority of fashion retailers and brands do not publish a supplier list. The Australian Fashion Report found that only 15% of the 41 fashion companies retailing in Australia (128 brands) publish a list of suppliers. A similar report in the United States of America also found that only 20% of companies publish a full list of supplier names and addresses. It is likely to be a similar percentage globally. In an analysis undertaken for the preparation of the Australian Fashion Report, 43 different certifications and memberships were researched. In very general terms, most certifiers have visibility at the harvest end of the supply chain, with some at the final end. In between, it is difficult to audit and monitor as a garment moves across borders and factories and has embellishments added. Fashion labels, when they have any knowledge of their supply chain, mostly have it at the final end. Well-meaning consumers and retailers can seek to purchase certified garments and/or become members of industry groups, however the whole supply chain is rarely covered.
Patricia Jurewicz, Director, Responsible Sourcing Network: "Today is an era of transparency. And people are choosing brands who are committed to not having forced labor inside their products." 135
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As a Consumer You Have a Powerful Voice “A firm’s goal is to maximise profit [and because] labour is such a large part of business costs, a small increase in the cost of labour can significantly increase the cost of production and decrease profit.”136 This could be a reason for companies to turn a blind eye to what happens in their supply chains. However, current research estimates that to provide living wages, it would only increase the cost of an item such as a T-shirt by as little as US$ 0.23 per item. Also, “companies associated with human trafficking not only face serious legal and enforcement risks, but also risk severely tarnishing their brands in the eyes of consumers, investors, employees, and other stakeholders.” 137 These consequences can have a significant impact on a company’s profit as well. You can be a part of the movement to end human trafficking in this industry. Fashion labels and retailers cannot be expected to end this alone but have crucial roles along with suppliers, buyers and contractors to end human trafficking and build better economically sustainable businesses. As the face of fashion to consumers, fashion labels and retailers have a pivotal role in influencing the rest of the industry and their supply chain. In the long-term, business built on human trafficking and poor labour conditions will not survive. To Make Fashion Traffik-Free in many cases will require a more relational way of doing business. The following steps and suggestions are provided to support business. Finance Against Trafficking is run by business for business, working to prevent human trafficking in the business sector. It provides a number of products and services to enable companies to identify and understand their risks to human trafficking, and supports them to mitigate the risks both within a business and its supply chain.
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ChainChecker is an online tool developed by Finance Against Trafficking. ChainChecker helps businesses understand whether they are at risk of human trafficking, highlights areas of concern and provides guidance on how to take actions to eliminate or reduce the risk. www.chain-checker.com If you have any questions or queries regarding anything on these pages or if you want help or advice on how to ensure your business and supply chain is free of human trafficking, please contact Finance Against Trafficking on
[email protected] In the US the NGO Verite works with business to combat human trafficking: "At Verite, we believe that strong protection against labor abuses like trafficking is essential to business success; indeed long term success for business is predicated on solving these structural issues like poorly regulated, unethical recruitment practices that are increasingly exposed as part of their supply chains and damaging their valuable reputations. Leadership and on-going attention from committees such as this one send a powerful message to the private sector. We want to see that famous American business creativity and enterprising spirit harnessed to innovate and reimagine supply chain relationships so that nobody is ensnared in debt bondage simply in order to participate in our global economy."138
What Steps Can a Business Take? 3
Trace your Suppliers Follow the materials trail and its accompanying documentation
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Provide your staff with training on best practice Finance Against Trafficking can provide advice on training workshops
1
2
Commit to ensuring a sustainable and ethical supply chain
L et your suppliers and buyers know you have signed the protocol
Sign the Make Fashion Traffik Free Protocol in which you agree to trace your supply chain
You will require evidence that they are also adhering to the protocol
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Start communicating with your suppliers ChainChecker is an online tool which enables you to understand the risk of human trafficking in your business and supply chain www.chain-checker.com
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Track your suppliers’ performance Reward good practice (e.g. Supplier of the year awards)
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Draft your own code of conduct based on the Make Fashion Traffik Free Protocol Your code of conduct should be tied into your procurement process
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COMMUNICATE REGULARLY, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY Tell everyone about your efforts, challenges and any changes made to your approach
“It is more important than ever for brands and retailers to know exactly where the product is at any given time and what materials are being used to create the product. Being able to trace the supply chain is a top priority for the industry."139
Kevin Burke, President and CEO, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
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Endnotes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37.
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International Labour Organization,1930. Co29 Convention concerning forced or compulsory labour, Geneva: International Labour Organization [online]. Available at: . United Nations, 1956. Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery. [pdf] Geneva: United Nations. Available at: . International Labour Organization, 2014. What is child labour. [online] Available at: . International Labour Organization, 2014. What is child labour. [online] Available at: . Zalan, K., 2013. ‘Modern slavery emerges from the shadows’, USNEWS.com, [online] 2 April. Belser, P., 2005. Forced labour and human trafficking: estimating the profits. [pdf] Geneva: International Labour Office. Available at: . Chan, B., 2013. ‘Hong Kong “a hot-bed for modern day slavery” ’, South China Morning Post, [online] 27 September. States News Service (2013) ‘Why combating corruption and illicit trade is critical to market prosperity, economic growth, and sustainable futures.’ [online] 26 September. Walk Free Foundation, 2013. The Global Slavery Index 2013 [online]. Available at . Chan, B., 2013. ‘Hong Kong “a hot-bed for modern day slavery” ’, South China Morning Post, [Online] 27 September. M2 PressWIRE, 2013. ‘Briefing on the 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report: June 19, 2013, Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador-at-Large Via Teleconference, Washington, DC’, [Online] 20 June. Draper, S., Murray, V. and Weissbrod, I., 2007. Fashioning sustainability. [pdf] London: Forum for the Future. Available at: . Coulter, D., 2010. Getting children out of cotton fields and into school. [online] Available at: ; Environmental Justice Foundation, 2007.The children behind our cotton. [pdf] London: Environmental Justice Foundation. . 14. ??? Bang, N. J., 2013. ‘Unmasking the charade of the global supply contract: a novel theory of corporate liability in human trafficking and forced labor cases.’ Houston Journal of International Law, [pdf] (38) 22 March, Vol. 35 No. 2, p.255-292; Kelly, A., 2013. ‘Bangladesh’s garment workers face exploitation, but is it slavery?’, The Guardian [online] 16 May. Bradberry, B., 2013. ‘Slavery by any other name’, Niagara Gazette (New York), [online] 13 November. Heinrich. K. and Sreeharsha, K., 2013. ‘Mom, there’s a slave in my shirt’, The Huffington Post, [online] 6 August. Coulter, D., 2010. Getting children out of cotton fields and into school. [online] Available at: . STOP THE TRAFFIK, 2013. Make Fashion Traffik Free Infographic. [image online] Available at: < http://www.stopthetraffik.org/download.php?type=resource&id=526>. Enakshi Ganguly Thukral, B.A., 2005. Status of Children in India. New Delhi: HAQ: Centre for Child Rights. Heinrich. K. and Sreeharsha, K., 2013. ‘Mom, there’s a slave in my shirt’, The Huffington Post, [online] 6 August. Ghosh, P.R., 2013. ‘Slavery in the modern world: the saga of India’s child cotton laborers’, International Business Times News, [online] 17 October. Dev, A., 2014. ‘Dirty underbelly’, The Sunday Indian, [online] 9 March; Dev, A., 2013. ‘In India, Karnataka stands third in human trafficking’, The Times of India [online] 5 November. DNA, 2013. ‘Labour dept’s laxity ruins kids’ future; Department could not utilise first instalment of UNICEF funds for the child labourers’, DNA [online] 21 April. The Times of India, 2013. ‘Six minors rescued’, The Times of India [online] 30 July; The Times of India, 2013. ’39 kids on way to Gujarat cotton fields rescued’, The Times of India [online] 22 July. The Times of India, 2013. ’39 kids on way to Gujarat cotton fields rescued’, The Times of India [online] 22 July. States News Service, 2013. ‘ChildFund India staff rescue 6 children from trafficker in Rajasthan’, States News Service [online] 29 July. The Times of India, 2013. ’39 kids on way to Gujarat cotton fields rescued’, The Times of India [online] 22 July. Daily Messenger, 2013. ‘150m children, including 10m minor girls, labour worldwide: UNICEF’, Daily Messenger [online] 17 June. The Times of India, 2013. ‘Rajasthan rank high in child labour’, The Times of India [online] 12 March. USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), Foreign Agricultural Service, 2014. Cotton: world markets and trade, April 2014. [pdf] USDA. Available at: . Nimbalker, G., Cremen, C. and Wrinkle, H., 2013. The Australian fashion report: The truth behind the barcode. [pdf] Baptist World Aid Australia and Not For Sale Australia. Available at: . USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), Foreign Agricultural Service, 2014. Cotton: world markets and trade, April 2014. [pdf] USDA. Available at: . Barrie, L., 2013. ‘Uzbekistan: eleven people died during cotton harvest’, just-style global news [online] 29 November. Targeted News Service, 2013.’Uzbekistan: US decision vindicates forced labor victims’, Targeted News Service [online] 20 June. Express and Echo, 2013. ‘Help eradicate forced labour’, Express and Echo [online] 28 February. Sunday Times (Islamabad), 2013. ‘Modernity!’, Sunday Times (Islamabad) [online] 27 October.
38. Ghosh, P.R., 2013. ‘Slavery in the modern world: the saga of India’s child cotton laborers’, International Business Times News, [online] 17 October. 39. Aulakh, R., 2013. ‘Uzbekistan’s cotton crop a deadly harvest; Six-year-old among the dead in yearly ritual where leaders force residents into fields’, The Toronto Star, [online] 28 November. 40. Houghton, A., 2013. ‘Uzbek ‘slavery’ row overshadows city cotton showcase; as the world cotton industry descends on Liverpool, Alistair Houghton reveals the hidden story of the Uzbek fields’, Liverpool Post, [online] 24 October. 41. Ghosh, P.R., 2013. ‘Slavery in the modern world: the saga of India’s child cotton laborers’, International Business Times News, [online] 17 October. 42. Ghosh, P.R., 2013. ‘Slavery in the modern world: the saga of India’s child cotton laborers’, International Business Times News, [online] 17 October. 43. 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101. Inside U.S. Trade, 2013. ‘Labor Dept. finds forced child labor used in making Vietnamese apparel’, Inside U.S. Trade, [online] 2 August. 102. Walk Free Foundation, 2013. The Global Slavery Index 2013 [online]. Available at ; Khan, M., 2013. ‘Modern day slavery’, Daily Times, [online] 23 October. 103. Web newswire, 2013. ‘DISHA - Driving industry towards sustainable human capital advancement’, Web newswire, [online] 1 November. 104. STOP THE TRAFFIK, 2013. Make Fashion Traffik-Free Report. [pdf] London: STOP THE TRAFFIK. Available at: . 105. Overeem, P., Oonk, G., Theuws, M. and Peepercamp, M., 2012. Maid in India: young Dalit women continue to suffer exploitative conditions in India’s garment industry. [pdf] SOMO (Stichting Onderzoek Multinationale Ondernemingen) and LIW/ ICN–India Committee of the Netherlands. Available at: . 106. Web newswire, 2013. ‘DISHA - Driving industry towards sustainable human capital advancement’, Web newswire, [online] 1 November. 107. 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About STOP THE TRAFFIK
About Finance Against Trafficking About LexisNexis® and ChainChecker
We are a global movement of activists around the world who passionately give their time and energy to build resilient communities and prevent human trafficking. We are a campaigning organisation that seeks to build a traffik-free world! We prevent trafficking by:
Finance Against Trafficking is run by business for business, working to prevent human trafficking in the business sector. It provides a number of products and services to enable companies to identify and understand their risks to human trafficking, and supports them to mitigate the risks both within a business and its supply chain. ChainChecker is an online tool developed by Finance Against Trafficking. ChainChecker helps businesses understand whether they are at risk of human trafficking, highlights areas of concern and provides guidance on how to take actions to eliminate or reduce the risk. www.chain-checker.com
ЉЉ Equipping people to understand what trafficking is, how it affects them and what they can do about it. We gather and analyse information from communities about how and where trafficking is happening. ЉЉ Campaigning for change! ЉЉ Building a global movement
LexisNexis® is committed to playing a positive role in the community and becoming an authoritative voice in “higher order” legal and risk management business issues that are not only topical, but, more importantly, foundational to the stability of governments, the well-being of their citizens, and business. One example is our initiative regarding “the Rule of Law” and its role in preserving, protecting, and defending the rights and property of individuals and corporations around the world. bis.lexisnexis.co.uk
ЉЉ Individuals, communities, organisations, front-line professionals, faith groups, businesses, schools and charities are all part of STOP THE TRAFFIK. www.stopthetraffik.org
For further information on the LexisNexis® Human Trafficking Awareness Index™ please visit: bis.lexisnexis.co.uk/blog
For help or advice on how to ensure your business and supply chain are free of human trafficking, please contact
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