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The textile alliance initiated by Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller (CSU) does not sufficiently motivate companies to commit themselves to respecting human rights in their supply chains. This is criticised by the civil society members of the Alliance on the occasion of a networking meeting that will take place on 5 June in Hanover. The companies that have joined the Textile Alliance so far cover slightly less than 50 percent of the German textile market. It is also likely that additional members will have to leave the alliance at the beginning of July if they do not comply with the obligation to draw up an annual action plan. Civil society members pointed out that the voluntary textile alliance could make meaningful contributions to the implementation of standards. However, effective legal rules applicable to all companies are necessary for the realization of human rights in the textile supply chain.

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Bonn, 1 June 2018. Many fashion companies accept that their suppliers are violating the rights of mothers and children. If there is no qualified childcare in textile factories, this violates applicable law in India, for example. On the occasion of International Children's Day, the women's rights organisation FEMNET and its Indian partner organisation CIVIDEP are launching a petition on 1 June and calling on manufacturers to improve the care situation with the #WerPasstAuf? campaign.

The international community classifies mothers and children as particularly vulnerable, especially in the world of work. As in many countries around the world, there are therefore legal regulations in India for paid maternity protection and childcare facilities in the workplace. However, implementation is often catastrophic, which was confirmed by studies by FEMNET and CIVIDEP.Indian suppliers of H&M, Cecil, Zalando, Primark and C&A were audited.

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Demonstration in Dhaka, Bangladesh in March 2018. Photo: © NGWFNGWF demonstration in Dhaka, Bangladesh in March 2018. Photo: © NGWFWorkers and trade unions in Bangladesh have been calling for years for an increase in the minimum wage in the clothing sector. Compared to the current minimum wage of 5,300 Taka, about 52 euros, the unions demand a tripling to 16,000 Taka, about 157 euros. By Western standards, this sounds like a drastic increase. In fact, however, the minimum wage has not been raised for five years, while the high inflation rate causes the cost of living in the country to rise steadily. Thus, families who have to feed on the already extremely low wages in the clothing industry are left with less to live on each year. Mim Akter, trade unionist and seamstress from Dhaka, summed it up during her visit to Germany in November 2017: “At the end of the month we go hungry or we take out a loan.”

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With the Bangladesh Accord, building safety in textile factories was to be improved after the factory collapse of Rana Plaza, which killed 1138 people on 24 April 2013. Since then, the safety of workers has improved noticeably. This year, the Accord will be renewed for another three years, but many companies refuse to join the agreement. But why actually? The Swiss CCC asked her, and here are the most popular answers for you.

 

Accord campaign 2018. Photo: © CCCVideo of the current campaign. © CCCFive years ago, the catastrophic factory collapse of Rana Plaza killed 1,134 workers. In order to further improve the security situation in Bangladesh's textile factories, the agreement on fire protection and building safety in Bangladesh is now being extended. The women's rights organization FEMNET calls on all Bangladeshi-producing fashion and textile companies to participate in this new contract.

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Employees of the Bonn Green Space Office sample the potential goods of the new framework contract. High-quality clothing and protective equipment is the basis of good work! Photo: © FEMNETEmployees of the Bonn Green Space Office sample the potential goods of the new framework contract. High-quality clothing and protective equipment is the basis of good work! Photo: © FEMNETTwo years after the first fair tender for the Service and protective clothing of the municipal employees of the Bonn Office for Urban GreeneryThe procedure is established. For example, cut-resistant trousers, forest jackets and winter vests were purchased – but also forest boots and work gloves. For the 19 lots, there were at least 4 valuable offers almost everywhere, which had to be evaluated shortly before Easter according to quality, workmanship and equipment.

From the first experience (described in the Brochure step by step (PDF file)) lessons have been learned. In addition to the criteria use value (30%) and price (40%), social criteria went into the race for the award with 30%. Tenderers who wanted to be considered positively in the tender for socially fair production conditions had to attach concrete evidence to their tenders. This was made possible by a graduated tenderer's declaration on the control of the ILO core labour standards. The more measures bidders were able to demonstrate for credible monitoring of ILO notched labour standards, the more points they were able to score.

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Düsseldorf. The State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia has removed the obligation to provide evidence of compliance with international labour rights and environmental standards from the Tariff Adherence and Public Procurement Act (TVgG) of North Rhine-Westphalia. The amendment to the law abolishes a uniform national regulation that also aligns public procurement with human rights and environmental standards. Municipalities and provincial contracting authorities can still voluntarily request proof that labour rights and environmental standards have been complied with in the production of, for example, workwear. However, each municipality now has to develop its own regulation for sustainable procurement.

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Demonstration on 10.03.2018. Photo: © Garment Labour Union (GLU), BangaloreDemonstration on 10.03.2018. Photo: © Garment Labour Union (GLU), BangaloreAround 350 textile workers gathered in Bangalore (India) on the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March) for a peaceful protest to demonstrate for human and, above all, women's rights in the workplace. With candles in their hands, they formed a human chain and demanded the end of sexual violence in the workplace. However, other labour rights violations were also denounced: Low wages, constant pressure from prerogatives, harassment, lack of implementation of statutory childcare for workers and the obstruction of union work are some of the most common problems women face in factories.

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Impulses for Fair Public Procurement at the Berlin Academy of Administration. Photo: © FEMNETImpulses for Fair Public Procurement at the Berlin Academy of Administration. Photo: © FEMNETHuman rights and environmental standards are violated on a daily basis in the globalised production of goods – goods that are also purchased by the public sector. For this reason, the European and German legislators have stipulated that ecological and social criteria may or should play a major role in public procurement. How the requirements for staff in the administration have changed over the years and what the current state of public procurement law provides for was a topic in our lectures in the context of the training course ‘Grundlagen des Vergabewesens’ at the Verwaltungsakademie Berlin. However, the questions of ‘how’ were particularly exciting for the participants. The approximately 20 employees from the civil service of the districts and the state of Berlin were informed about the possibilities of using ‘quality marks’ such as the seals of fair trade. In model projects, numerous possibilities have also been developed, which we were at least able to tackle.

The two lectures were given by FEMNET employee Anne Neumann on the initiative of the Berlin promoter for municipal development policy Michael Jopp in the course of Thomas Griewald.

Our lectures and workshops can be offered free of charge at all training and further education facilities for public service employees who are involved in outreach. Information can be found in our flyer (PDF file).

Feedback on the event:

‘Fair awarding is proper awarding, is economic award - cost-effectiveness in a comprehensive sense. Deliveries and services may only be awarded by skilled and knowledgeable staff.

Due to the increasing demands on the administration - both in terms of content and quantity - and the central contracting authorities, which are not yet widespread everywhere, employees must be able to deal with the extensive requirements of public procurement law.

The methods and experience of other contracting authorities presented by the speakers are very helpful in this regard.”

Thomas Griewald,
Lecturer for basics of public procurement at the Berlin Academy of Administration

The #metoo movement makes it clear: Gender-based violence in the workplace is part of the daily lives of many women workers. On the occasion of International Women's Day, FEMNET calls for solidarity with seamstresses in South Asia.

Worldwide, more than a third of all women, i.e. over 800 million, suffer from violence in the workplace. Women in low-paid and insecure employment are particularly at risk, as is still the case in the global textile industry today. In India and Bangladesh alone, more than 60 percent of workers in textile factories are affected. They are pulled by the guards' hair, harassed, insulted, sexually harassed, and often even raped. There is also enormous pressure on women: Thus, if they do not meet their targets, they often have to work unpaid overtime.

To support these women in India and Bangladesh, FEMNET has Mutual legal assistance fund It helps them to assert their rights.

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