Femnet e.V.

Living wages are a key element of decent work. In the countries of the Global South, however, a large proportion of employees cannot live humanely on hard-earned wages. This also applies to employees in the textile and clothing industry, who are usually paid at the level of state minimum wages. However, these minimum wages are usually only sufficient to survive if they are increased by countless overtime hours or supplemented by a second income in the family. Using the example of Indonesia, one of the ten largest export nations for clothing worldwide, SÜDWIND will examine in several fact sheets and a study the question of which paths there can lead from just these minimum wages to living wages. In this fact sheet, we look at the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, which is a crucial prerequisite for the enforcement of living wages.

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This white paper is the first of a series of publications in which we will build upon that body of thought. We will examine sustainable fashion – the claims, the measurement, the reporting. We will critically assess the extent to which fashion’s efforts are contributing to meaningful change, and to what extent they are a distraction, and inhibiting genuine transformation. We will suggest

ways in which governments can change the rules, and so alter mindsets and corporate behaviour, to obtain the results that we all want – a halt to climate change and a more equitable world.

The fashion industry has the potential to create positive impacts for business and society. It can catalyse decent jobs and opportunities that support socio-economic development in the global south and it can innovate and align production and marketing with planetary boundaries.

In this initial white paper, we start with the foundation from which all sustainability initiatives must be derived.

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Many Western European consumers associate the expression ‘Made in Europe’ with the idea of better working conditions than in Asian producing countries, but the study ‘Labour on a Shoestring’ shows that this is not always the case: Problematic working conditions and, in particular, very low wages are part of global supply chains, including in parts of Europe. The textile and footwear industry in Europe's low-wage countries is notorious for poor working conditions and underpayment.
We have researched in six European low-wage countries and found that there are strong links between, for example, European and Asian shoe production and their different roles in global shoe manufacturing chains.

Editorial team: Janda, Lena; Pieper, Anton

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Of the 40 million people trapped in modern slavery today, 70 percent of them are women and girls. Every day across the globe, millions of women and girls are used, controlled and exploited for commercial or personal gain. They are trafficked into the sex industry, kept in servitude as domestic workers in private homes, forced to work in exploitative conditions in factories and bonded into agricultural labour. They suffer terrible violence and are denied their basic rights and freedoms.

Our report, ‘Her freedom, her voice: Insights from the Freedom Fund’s work with women and girls’, draws on insights from our last four years working in countries with a high burden of slavery. The report summarizes promising approaches to tackle this scourge, and highlights priorities for further research and investment.

The Freedom Fund has sought to identify and invest in the most effective frontline efforts to eradicate slavery. Across ‘hotspots’ in Ethiopia, India and Nepal we are supporting frontline NGOs to tackle the risks and vulnerabilities that communities face, including the specific vulnerabilities faced by women and girls. From building rights awareness and keeping girls in school, to opening up new economic opportunities and improving conditions in the workplace, our local partners are working to help women and girls protect themselves from slavery, address the root causes of their exploitation, recover from trauma, prosecute those who abuse them and activate government to take responsibility.

Globally, more research and sharing of knowledge is needed on the most effective frontline strategies to address the gender dimensions of slavery. In an effort to contribute to this knowledge, this report draws together lessons from Freedom Fund-supported interventions to date.

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The Syrian conflict may seem distant tfashion companies and consumers, but the war is having a direct impact on the garment sector through its supply chain. A growing number of Syrian children, hired in violation of International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions that prohibit child labour, are used as cheap manpower in Turkish textile factories. Brands that only account for a small percentage of a factory’s production have limited leverage tdemand changes, which is why FWF encourages cooperation between members sourcing from the same suppliers tboost their influence. “If you’re lucky enough tfind other FWF members working with the same manufacturer, this is the best case scenario,” says Sven König. “You can combine corrective efforts and have more leverage, more impact.” Vaude won the 2015 FWF Best Practice award for a joint training project conducted in cooperation with twother companies, Jack Wolfskin and Salewa. Fair Wear Foundation is in favour of working together with other multi stakeholder initiatives like FLA and ETI. Creating an environment in which garment companies can be more honest about the darker sides of the industry and engaging constructively with their suppliers would be an important step towards preventing child labour. “We want brands tbe frank and open about it,” says Margreet Vrieling of FWF. “Brands and suppliers must give each other room tdbusiness in a respectful way.”

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