Organising in a Global Economy

1
Organising in a Global Economy

• An ITGLWF Perspective

2
Aims for Session

• Globalisation and its impact on organising
• The peculiarities of textile, clothing and
  footwear
• The ITGLWF response
• IFAs and Organising
• Some other approaches
• (The China Syndrome)

3
The 4 Pillars of Globalisation

• Rapid advances in transport and communications
  technology
• Mobile international capital
• Free trade policy
• Increased labour migration
• Segmented and oppressed global labour markets

4
The Global Assembly line

• Garments designed in the USA
• Manufactured under contract in China
• by a company owned in Hong Kong
• Using raw materials from all around the world.
• transported to the UK in container ships carrying
  a flag of convenience and crewed by Filipino
  seafarers.
• Payroll and other data tasks carried out in Asia

5
The New Economy in Textiles Clothing and
Footwear
Logistics
Formal economy
Suppliers
Retailer
Manufacturer
Wholly owned subsidiaries
Own label
O u t s o u r c e d
Informal Economy
6

• To what extent are similar patterns emerging
  in manufacture or service delivery in your
  sector?

7
The New Economy in Textiles Clothing and
Footwear
Logistics
Formal economy
Suppliers
Retailer
Manufacturer
Wholly owned subsidiaries
Own label
O u t s o u r c e d
Informal Economy
Subcontractor
Shop houses, sub subcontractors and homeworkers
8
Global Supply Chains and International Framework
Agreements
Logistics
Retailer
Manufacturer
Suppliers
Merchandiser
9
Strategy on IFAs

• IFA a test for Global Unions?
• Ability to negotiate a collective agreement at
  global level
• Ability to use that agreement to support
  organising on the ground eg Accor Hotels
• Entry point however is via a well organised HQ
  MNC
• What happens when this is not the case?

10
Trade Union Organisation in the supply chain
MNC
Formal economy
Subsidiary - Wholly owned
contractor
subcontractor
Informal Economy
Homeworkersfreelancers
11
Code of conduct
IFAs
MNC e.g. Nike
Formal economy
Subsidiary
contractor
No Production!
subcontractor
Informal Economy
Homeworkersfreelancers
12
Corporate Social responsibilityModel 1(Buyer) eg
Nike
Implementation
Monitoring
Verification
Reporting
Code
13
The Code Problem
Eg Supplier Factory in Central America
Current situation
14
CSR Model 2
Implementation
Monitoring
Verification
Reporting
Multi Stakeholder Initiative
15
Successful campaigns to disclose locations of
suppliers/contractors
16
Sectoral Framework Agreement on Trade Union Rights
17
Dealing with a Freedom of Association violation
18
Limitations

• Disclosure of locations does not lead to wide
  scale organising
• Tackling violations via IFA or MSI involvement is
  piecemeal and reactive
• Does not tackle the crucial issue of access for
  organisers

19
Our approach

• GS and GUF staff involvement in major MSIs
• Bespoke framework agreements on trade union
  rights
• Research on organising targets
• Major suppliers / brands
• Regional meetings with csr staff from brands
• National meetings between csr staff, suppliers
  EPZ managers and government officials on FOA and
  access

20
Questions

• What experience do we have of IFAs or codes of
  conduct or other instruments being used as
  organising levers?
• What is happening specifically around the issue
  of trade union access in your sector?
• How does your GUF approach the issue of freedom
  Of Association in China?