Femnet e.V.

Often consumers in Western Europe believe that “Made in Europe” is a synonym for working conditions that are better than in production countries in Asia. This report shows that this is not always the case, and that problematic working conditions and very low wages in particular, are occurring endemically across global supply chains worldwide. In Europe’s low-wage countries, the clothing and shoe industry is notorious for poor pay and bad conditions.
We conducted research in six European low-wage production countries. We found that global shoe supply chains include low-wage countries in Europe as well as in other world regions, and that there are strong interlinkages between, for example, European and Asian shoe production and the industries’ distinctive roles in global supply chains.
In our field research, we conducted interviews with 179 shoe workers from 12 factories. According to interviewed workers and factory websites, all of the factories produce for well known shoe brands and retailers that sell their products on the EU market, including Zara, Lowa, Deichmann, Ara, Geox, Bata and Leder & Schuh AG. We also concluded the deliveries of CCC Shoes & Bags in Poland and of Ecco, Rieker and Gabor in Slovakia. According to workers (and our experience backs up this claim), the problems found are of a systemic nature.

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This country profile sums up the state of the art of the garment industry in Bulgaria focusing on wages, economic role of the garment industry, brand practices and workers’ rights violations.

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The global apparel industry is characterized by complex global supply chains operated by large multinational brands and retailers, like Gap and Walmart, in which production is outsourced to hundreds of factories in developing nations to take advantage of low wages and weak labor law enforcement. This model of outsourced, globalized production has enabled multinational brands and retailers to not only increase profits by lowering labor costs, but also to insulate themselves from legal liability for working conditions in the factories making their products.

With the failure of the traditional, corporate-led initiatives to address labor violations, new models have casualties to hold brands and retailers accountable for working conditions in their supply chains. Enforceable brand agreements (EBAs) differ greatly from corporate-led models because they seek to address the features of the apparel supply chain that are at the root of poor working conditions and labor rights violations: Specifically, the absence of binding and enforceable commitments, lack of transparency, sidelining of workers and their elected trade union representatives, and how the brands’ purchasing practices contribute to labor rights violations.

This paper explores the successes and challenges of three examples — in Indonesia, Honduras, and Bangladesh — of EBAs in the global apparel industry, assessing the context in which each was developed and how they address the deficiencies in the traditional CSR approach. It then outlines a four-part analytical framework, or essential elements, for identifying what a worker-centered, worker-driven model for advancing workers’ rights in the apparel supply chain should include. Finally, it lays out a road map for transforming the global apparel industry through greater uptake of worker-led initiatives and other actions necessary to strengthen worker rights in the global apparel industry.

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The country profile provides an overview of the clothing and footwear industry in Albania. It deals with the historical development of the clothing and footwear industry as well as labour rights violations. In particular, wages and trade union organisation are discussed on the basis of interviews with workers. In particular, the wages of the clothing industry are compared with living wages. Case studies are described and demands are formulated to improve the situation.

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The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is high (54%) in Bangladesh. Furthermore, female garment workers report higher rates of IPV and are also vulnerable to workplace violence (WPV). Experience of violence puts women at increased risk of developing depressive symptoms, which are related to low self-esteem, lower life satisfaction and lower productivity. To our knowledge, there has been no previous research on depression among female garment workers and its connections to IPV and WPV in Bangladesh. This paper aims to address this gap by studying the relationship of IPV, WPV and depression among female garment workers.

This study shows the pathways through which experience of IPV and WPV lead to development of depressive symptoms among female garment workers. The link between women’s ability to mobilize resources with self-esteem and work-related stress indicates the need for socio-economic empowerment of women and may suggest that combined intervention to address IPV and women’s empowerment could be successful in dealing with WPV and mental health.

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