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Clean Clothes

Clean Clothes

Liesbeth Sluiter

(2009)

Additional Information

Abstract

The Clean Clothes Campaign is a worldwide movement that aims to improve the wages and conditions of sweatshop workers. This is the story of their struggle.

Large retailers such as Tesco, Walmart and Carrefour lure shoppers in with prices that seem too good to be true. This book shows that they're too good to be fair. All along the industry's supply chain, workers, often children, are exploited through poverty wages, unpaid overtime and harsh anti-union measures. The campaign urges those in charge of the garment industry's supply lines to protect their workers and treat them fairly.

This dynamic account of direct engagement by concerned consumers is a must read for those that see globalisation differently and want their shopping choices to support the most vulnerable people involved in the clothing industry.
'Creating conditions for fair labour in the global economy is the greatest moral challenge of our times. Clean Clothes is an indispensable and sure-footed guide to a sweat-free future'
Andrew Ross, author of Low Pay, High Profile and Nice Work If You Can Get It
'Those of us who wear 'sweaters' might be interested to know that the word lies in the history of industrial organisation, as this masterful account makes clear. There is much insight on development trajectories to be gleaned from this book'
Duncan Campbell, Director, Department of Economics and Labour Market Analysis, International Labour Organisation, United Nations

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover Cover
Contents v
Photographs viii
Dedication xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Essential Abbreviations xiv
Preface xvii
Introduction 1
Part 1: A Globalising Industry 7
1: A Footloose Enterprise 9
The quiet giant awakens 9
Dutch sweatshops 11
The other side of the world 14
Campaign launch 16
Naming and shaming 19
A code of conduct 22
A rare inside view 24
And the beat goes on 28
2: Destination Elsewhere 38
Part 2: A Globalising Network 45
3: Asia 47
Bangladesh: a lethal industry 47
Sri Lanka: the fight in free trade zones 52
Indonesia: jobs at a discount 57
Thailand: How cats became tigers 63
Cambodia: plastic killers and yellow unions 69
China: where the sun never sets 74
4: Africa 91
Madagascar: overcoming isolation 91
Southern Africa: research in action 94
5: Europe’s Neighbours 101
The sweatshop finds new territories 101
Eastern Europe: industry-turned-sweatshop 102
Poland: caught in the middle 106
Turkey: labour rights are constitutional rights 109
Part 3: The Campaign in Action 115
6: Strategic Developments 117
Act locally 117
NGOs without borders 119
The network in action 124
Codes and companies 128
The legal angle 133
Clean clothes communities 136
Sportswear campaigns 139
Urgent appeals 143
Gender 144
The elastic network 148
Interlude: The European Network Up-Close 154
Malin Eriksson, Sweden 154
Carole Crabbe, French-speaking Belgium 156
Stefan Indermuhle, Switzerland 158
Maik Pflaum, Germany 160
Frieda de Koninck, Flemish-speaking Belgium 161
Eva Kreisler, Spain 163
Bettina Musiolek, Germany 165
Nayla Ajaltouni, France 166
Michaela Konigshofer, Austria 168
Christa de Bruin and Floris de Graad, the Netherlands 169
Martin Hearson, United Kingdom 171
Deborah Lucchetti and Ersilia Monti, Italy 173
Thomas Petersen and Birte Moeller Jensen, Denmark 176
Carin Leffler, Norway 177
Part 4: Debates and the Future 179
7: Support for Workers 181
Urgent appeals 183
The informal economy and migrant labour 187
Gender 191
Trade unions and NGOs 193
Worker education 196
North and south 198
8: Consumers 200
Fair trade 200
Rating and ranking 202
Ethical brands 203
Sustainable production 210
9: Hard Law 215
Litigation 217
National legislation 220
European legislation 221
OECD guidelines 225
The Ruggie process: do no harm 228
10: Companies 233
Codes 233
Audits 234
Multi-stakeholder initiatives 236
Fair Wear Foundation 237
Purchasing practices 241
Asian transnational production companies 244
Global retailers 245
New campaign perspectives 249
Epilogue 261
Notes 266
Bibliography 293
Organisations in the CCC Network 295
Index 301