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Fair procurement for the public sector - FEMNET-Studies

Well protected? Exploitation of work clothes

Extremely low wages, forced overtime, high job insecurity and oppressed unions: Workwear is intended to protect employees in Germany, but in manufacturing the working conditions are as precarious as in the fashion industry. Such goods are also purchased by public institutions in Germany.

There are now numerous studies on working conditions and human rights violations in the garment industry. However, there is a lack of information specifically on workwear. On behalf of FEMNET, the Indian organization researched Cividep and the Tunisian Institute FTDES in a total of seven textile factories. The shocking result: Working conditions in the production of workwear are just as bad as in many other fashion industries. These results play a central role in public procurement, as more and more municipalities want to integrate labour and social standards into their procurement practices.

For the English-language country studies, there are summary factsheets in German. Statements by Tunisian experts can be found at Report on the Speakers Tour 2019.

Forced overtime on Indian farms

Research in India showed: In sewing shops, employees work in conditions that are not far from forced labour in the strict sense. Employees earn an extremely low basic salary, which must be supplemented by daily overtime. These overtime hours are not voluntary. They can only be rejected at the risk of losing their jobs. If employees try to take action against these unsustainable conditions, the termination threatens: Factory management actively took action against trade unions in all the companies under investigation.

High job insecurity in Tunisian factories

The situation in Tunisian suppliers is equally precarious. Employees also earn extremely low wages here, which are far below a living wage. You always get short-term fixed-term contracts, although long-term employees are legally entitled to an indefinite contract. This is made possible by a perfidious practice: Factories are closed from one day to the next and reopened. contracts lose their validity; Employees are often re-hired under worse conditions.

How to make workwear fairer

In order to improve working conditions, manufacturers must comply with their human rights due diligence obligations. In addition to effective legal regulations such as a strong European supply chain law, this also requires a more conscious approach to the procurement of workwear: Public and private buyers should use their market power and actively demand compliance with social criteria during production.