ETI Annual review 2005/2006 – The power of partnership
Going global – supporting suppliers and local initiatives
This year we started to shift our focus to sourcing countries. There is overwhelming evidence that supporting local multi-stakeholder initiatives and helping suppliers understand the importance of workers’ rights and how they can benefit are key to achieving sustainable improvements to workers’ lives.
“Supplier companies will benefit from involvement with the National Homeworkers’ Group as contractors will be working with homeworkers to improve productivity and quality alongside labour standards.”
ARVIND
MISRA
INDIAN SUPPLIER
Tackling homeworkers’ conditions
Homeworkers play a vital role in the global economy yet are among the most marginalised and vulnerable of workers. In July 2006, ETI members together with Indian suppliers and partners, finalised draft guidelines to show how the ETI Base Code can be applied to homeworkers. Recognising that a collective approach offers the most sustainable and credible way of driving up standards, we also helped the same group establish a national body, the National Homeworkers’ Group, whose initial mandate will be to co-ordinate action in Uttar Pradesh's fabric embellishment industry. Inspired by the co-operation and vision of all involved, we helped to establish clear terms of reference and a structure for the Group, and encouraged brands and retailers sourcing from India to participate.
The National Homeworkers’ Group is the first of its kind to promote and guide responsible corporate action on homeworking. It is currently establishing a local multi-stakeholder group in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, which will tackle the conditions of up to 100,000 local homeworkers. We urge all retailers and brands sourcing from homeworkers in India, and other organisations working with Indian homeworkers, to get involved in this groundbreaking work.
ABOUT THE ETI HOMEWORKER GUIDELINES
Developed as part of the ETI experimental project, these draft guidelines show companies, trade unions, NGOs and governments how the ETI Base Code can be applied to homeworkers everywhere.
We invite companies with homeworkers in their supply chains to test the guidelines and give us feedback:
“Before, he who shouted most was the best. Now, he who shouts is not here.”
FARM
MANAGER, COSTA RICA
quoted in the ETI Impact assessment
Promoting fair treatment of workers
Our members tell us that supervisors are often responsible for violations of workers’ rights – particularly discrimination and harassment. We believe encouraging them to understand the importance of their own rights and those of others will support suppliers in their efforts to comply with labour codes.
This year we joined forces with the South Africa-based Wine and Agricultural Industry Ethical Trade Association (WIETA) to develop a training course for supervisors in the agricultural sector. WIETA is a multi-stakeholder body which was born out of an ETI experimental project. Now fully independent, it monitors and seeks to improve conditions in the South African wine and agricultural sector. A group of ETI members is now working with WIETA to develop the course, which aims to educate farm supervisors on their rights and build their supervisory skills. The ultimate goals are to improve workers’ experiences of supervision and to provide training material that ETI members can adapt for use in other locations across the globe.
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