News & Press Releases - Fair procurement for the public sector

FEMNET at Messe Fair Handel in Stuttgart

The FEMNET project consultants Marijke Mulder and Anni Korts-Laur at the fair stand at Fair Handel Stuttgart. Photo: © FEMNETThe FEMNET project consultants Marijke Mulder and Anni Korts-Laur at the fair stand at Fair Handel Stuttgart. Photo: © FEMNETThe Fair Handel trade fair took place in Stuttgart from 25 to 28 April 2019. FEMNET was present on site to present the first results of the current studies on working conditions in the workwear industry in Tunisia and India.

Marijke Mulder, FEMNET Project Officer, presented the results during the panel discussion ’The fashion revolution. Opportunities and challenges in textile production”, including SethuLakshmy Chakkenchath, a member of the Fairtrade Producers Network NAPP (the Network of Asia and Pacific Producers), Rapha Breyer from TransFair e.V. and Deniz Köksal from Reutlingen University, who presented his research results from Vietnam and Indonesia.

Well-attended discussion: Project officer Marijke Mulder talks about the possibilities for action of buyers in Germany. Photo: © FEMNETWell-attended discussion: Project officer Marijke Mulder talks about the possibilities for action of buyers in Germany. Photo: © FEMNETFEMNET gave an insight into the situation in the occupational clothing sector of the countries studied, whose main problems lie in the high production targets, precarious employment conditions and a minimum wage, which represents only a fraction of a livelihood wage. The subsequent discussion with the approximately 100 visitors focused on the possibilities of action consumers have in Germany. For the workwear industry, the importance of fair public procurement for the establishment of better working conditions and compliance with minimum standards was stressed. Although citizens in this sector are not direct buyers, they can appeal to their local governments to take social criteria into account when purchasing textiles.

The overall study on working conditions in the workwear industry will be published in English during 2019. In German, there will be fact sheets on the production countries of India and Tunisia, as well as on the political demands made on German politics and manufacturers – because these actors have the opportunity and the responsibility to change their purchasing practices and thus work towards decent production conditions.