Femnet e.V.

Although many studies have been conducted in recent years related to the working conditions and human rights violations of workers in the garment manufacturing industry, there is a lack of specific information on workwear manufacturing units. As workwear for European brands is produced in Tunisia, among others, the objective of this research is to investigate labour and international human rights standards in the workwear sector in Tunisia through a) desk research revealing the importance and development of the workwear sector in the Tunisian economy, and b) a field study on a sample of four different factories producing for three European workwear brands. Additionally, the study investigates the nature of the relations between the different actors of this sector (the brands, platforms, factories). The research findings show that the nature of employment in this sector is characterised by low wages, job insecurity due to fixed-term (short-term) contracts, and little bargaining power.

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Although many studies have been conducted in recent years related to the working conditions and human rights violations of workers in the garment manufacturing industry, there is a lack of specific information on workwear manufacturing units. As workwear for European brands is produced in India, among others, the objective of this research is to investigate the labour and international human rights standards in workwear producing factories in India. Workwear manufacturing is an emerging sector in the global garment industry as well as in India. The majority of Indian workwear production is meanwhile being exported to European countries (Technopak Advisors, 2013). According to our research, the nature of employment in this sector is often informal and contractual and with little job security. Wages are low, minimum wages are violated and workers are not paid according to their skills or grade of employment. There are rampant violations related to working hours, overtime, maternal benefits, leave, employment contracts and entitlements. There is an urgent need to take measures to improve the working conditions in these factories and to strictly implement labour laws.

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Basierend auf der Erfahrung der Beratungen von zwei kleineren Kommunen, fasst FEMNET in dieser Broschüre zusammen, wie auch Kommunen mit weniger (Einkaufs-)Personal einen Beitrag zu einem sozial und ökologisch nachhaltigen Einkauf leisten können. Das Handbuch möchte aufzeigen, dass es auch bei dünner Personaldecke, (noch) fehlender politischer Rückendeckung oder rechtlichen Unsicherheiten Wege gibt, öffentliche Beschaffung fair zu gestalten.

Werden sozial und ökologisch nachhaltige Einkaufskriterien eingeführt, bringt dies zusätzliche Anforderungen mit sich. Beschaffende müssen sich mit relevanten Produktgruppen vertraut machen und Gütezeichen kennen. Sie müssen wissen, wie entsprechende Kriterien im Beschaffungsprozess rechtlich sicher verankert werden können. Hierbei möchte das Handbuch unterstützen – mithilfe von Beispielen aus der Beschaffungspraxis ähnlich großer Kommunen.

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Die Dokumentation beleuchtet die Folgen von Fast Fashion und verfolgt den Weg unserer Altkleider. Die Autorinnen zeigen auch Alternativen - wie beispielsweise Textil-Recycling - und klären Möglichkeiten und Grenzen entsprechender Verfahren.

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The aim of this report is to set the debate on living wages in the garment industry within a clear, legal framework. To that end, the report sets out the legal basis for a living wage being recognised as a fundamental human right and describes the duties of actors along the supply chain to fulfil and uphold that right. To arrive at this point, participants needed an accurate snapshot of the current state of law in jurisdictions important to the global garment supply chain (importing countries known as textile “hot spots”). The research project underpinning the findings of this report gathered detailed summaries from 14 countries where garment exports to the USA and to the EU create a major reliance on the industry for export earnings and employment.

The resulting country reports provide a summary of the current law on wages, benefits, social security (and other labour laws likely to impact on wages), look at wage setting mechanisms and the legal mechanisms available to workers to enforce the legal obligations of the state.

It is our intention that the report will inform advocacy at both a national and an international level. We are hopeful that its existence and content can provide an important tool in pushing for concrete and effective action, as well as a resource for those working in the fashion industry and using labour in the countries concerned.

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