ETI REPORTS 2006

ETI Homeworker guidelines
recommendations for working with homeworkers

About the homeworker guidelines

The information on this page is intended to help you assess the appropriateness of the guidelines for your purpose before you download them. Should you also need the list of documents referred to under Methodology (below), please
download Chapter 1: Introduction to the ETI guidelines [PDF, 394kb].

• Chapter 1: Introduction to the ETI guidelines
  • Background
  • Purpose of these guidelines
  • Methodology
  • Who the guidelines are for
  • How to use these guidelines.

• Detailed contents
• Download the guidelines.

 

 

Background

The application of codes of practice to homeworkers is emerging as an important and complex issue for retailers and suppliers as well as trade unions and NGOs active in the labour rights field. Homeworkers are present in ETI members’ supply chains and research, together with members’ experience, has shown that homeworkers frequently have poor terms and conditions of work.

During 2001, members expressed increased concern about the presence of homeworkers in supply chains and about applying the ETI Base Code to homeworkers around the world. In response to this need, a Homeworkers Group and experimental project with representatives of ETI’s retailer, trade union and NGO members was formed in 2002.

 

Purpose of these guidelines

These guidelines aim to add substantially to understanding of the interpretation, monitoring and implementation of the ETI Base Code with homeworkers. The complexity of supply chains involving homeworkers, and the typically wide gap between retail point and homeworker, makes application of codes of conduct particularly challenging in this context. While advice is available on homeworking in supply chains from bodies such as the International Labour Organisation (Convention on Homeworking), ETI members articulated a need for more specific, practical advice including interpretation of the Code for this situation and indicators of Code compliance. The ETI homeworker guidelines were written to meet this need. They seek to provide practical guidance to members and others on:

• identifying the presence of homeworking in supply chains;
• applying, implementing and monitoring the ETI Base Code with homeworkers;
• meeting the standards of the ETI Base Code with homeworkers.

 

Methodology

In 2002, the ETI Homeworkers Group was set up in the UK, comprised of retailers, brands, suppliers, trade unions and NGO representatives. The Group commissioned a review of current knowledge and experience of applying corporate codes of labour practice with homeworkers, which informed their decision to begin work on a set of guidelines. Members began drafting these based on their cumulative experience and existing standards such as the ILO Convention on Homework No. 177. The documents consulted are listed at the end of this chapter (see PDF version).

Members decided they needed case studies from both developed and developing economies to inform the development of the guidelines. The case studies, chosen on the basis of where Group members most commonly sourced products involving homeworkers, were the Christmas cracker industry in the UK and the embellishment industry in India.

In the UK in 2002, we carried out extensive consultation with cracker suppliers selling to retailer members to understand their methods of working with homeworkers. This two-year consultation reached the bulk of the industry. Samples of homeworkers involved in these suppliers’ chains were then consulted by an NGO Group member in 2004 to identify their priority issues and concerns, and gather responses to the draft guidelines. In addition, international homeworker organisations were consulted on the 2004 draft through a meeting held with an NGO Group member. All comments received were incorporated.

In 2003, we consulted Indian stakeholders involved in work with homeworkers who were partners of UK Group members, plus Indian Government officials and an NGO representative, on the approach the Group was taking. We commissioned extensive research into homeworkers’ conditions, issues and priorities with stakeholders engaged in the fabric embellishment industry in Delhi and Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) in India in 2004. Inputs were collected from exporters, contractors, subcontractors, homeworkers, NGOs and trade unions through a series of focus group discussions and individual interviews. Following this research, a tripartite group was set up in Delhi to assimilate the findings from the research and to review and further develop the guidelines drafted by UK Group members.

Throughout 2005, the UK and Delhi Groups worked in close partnership to develop and refine sections of the guidelines. In early 2006, extensive consultations were held on this draft with a wide variety of stakeholders in India. Separate consultation sessions were run with homeworkers (both unionised/organised and non-unionised/unorganised); contractors; exporters; retailers (both ETI members and non-members), NGOs, trade unions, government representatives and academics. The draft was then revised on the basis of all the comments to assume its current form.

At January 2006, the UK Group comprised representatives from:

• The Body Shop International, Boots the Chemist, Gap Inc., Madison Hosiery, Monsoon/Accessorize, Next plc and Sainsbury’s Supermarkets (retailer and supplier members of ETI);
• Community Trade Union and the Trades Union Congress (trade union members of ETI); and
• Oxfam GB, National Group on Homeworking, Homeworkers Worldwide and Traidcraft Exchange (NGOs).

The Delhi Group included representatives from:

• Gap Inc., Next plc and Monsoon/Accessorize (retailer members of ETI), Nandeetas, Aesthetics and Chelsea (suppliers/exporters), Li & Fung (agent);
• Hind Mazdoor Sabha (trade union); and
• the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and the Centre for Education and Communication (NGOs).

 

Who the guidelines are for

The guidelines are intended for use by the full range of groups active within international supply chains sourcing from homeworkers. They are primarily aimed at the commercial actors integral to these chains but also contain sections for use by non-commercial groups, such as trade unions and NGOs active in improving labour standards in this field. The guidelines were developed by and for ETI members but are also intended for a wider constituency of non-members, particularly:

• retailers
• suppliers, including agents, co-operatives, exporters, contractors and subcontractors
• commercial auditors involved in the inspection of homeworkers or suppliers
• homeworkers
• TUs
• NGOs.

 

How to use these guidelines

The first three chapters of the guidelines are essential reading for all users:

• Chapter 1 Introduction explains the scope, format and purpose of the document, its intended audience and use;
• Chapter 2 Background: homeworkers and the supply chain presents a definition of homeworking and explains the extent and characteristics of homework in international chains. It also summarises several different initiatives trialled by commercial actors as well as TUs and NGOs around the world aiming at improving labour conditions with homeworkers;
• Chapter 3 Principles and approaches sets out the essential principles on which the group’s work is based and details the two different approaches to implementing these guidelines: individual activity and collaborative working. This chapter also includes a section on working through multi-stakeholder groups.

For ease of use, we have then written a chapter for each of the major players indicating what each can do to improve labour standards:

Chapter 4 What retailers can do

Chapter 5 What suppliers can do – a wide group in itself – and

Chapter 6 What trade unions and non-governmental organisations can do.

These chapters are followed by a comprehensive Toolkit (Chapter 7) containing practical documents to assist implementation of the recommendations in the guidelines. These include:

Tool A – a model policy on homeworking for retailers and suppliers;

Tool B – sample mapping tools for gaining information about the presence of homeworking in supply chains, including a sample supply chain map;

Tool C - the application framework, which is central to implementation of the recommendations found in chapters 4 - 6. This contains an interpretation of each ETI Base Code clause in the homeworking context, plus actions and indicators which can be used to implement and verify Base Code provisions with homeworkers. The framework is organised in sections containing actions for each supply chain actor, namely retailers, suppliers, contractors, NGOs and TUs. It also contains actions for a multi-stakeholder group where actions are set out for corporate actors, TUs and NGOs who wish to work together to increase the impact of their work and have industry- or sector-wide effect.

Tools D and E – questions for eliciting information from homeworkers;

Tools F and G – guidance on how to set piece rates and a list of companies which can help;

Tool H – a simple log book for homeworkers’ use;

Tool I – details of the SEWA insurance fund;

Tool J – more information about purchasing practices and how these can undermine the principles of the Base Code.

These guidelines are still a ‘work in progress’ and we welcome feedback from anyone using them. If you have comments please contact ETI.

 

Detailed contents | Download the guidelines.