Promoting workers' rights at the global level

Teresa became involved with ETI in 2000. She was then Chair of the Rural, Agricultural and Allied Workers' (RAAW) Regional and National Trade Group of the Transport and General Workers' Union, and Vice President of the Agricultural and Allied Workers Trade Group of the IUF Global Federation. Having worked in horticulture, she relished the opportunity to get involved in promoting workers' rights at the global level.

Stamping out exploitation of seasonal workers 

It took the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in February 2004 for the Government to realise that regulation was essential.

Looking back over the past decade, Teresa says perhaps one of the greatest achievements of ethical trade, at least in the UK, was ETI's establishment of an alliance called the Temporary Labour Working Group (TLWG) in 2002. This was set up to improve the working conditions of seasonal and foreign workers in the UK food industry who are employed on temporary contracts by labour providers or ‘gangmasters'. The TLWG aimed to improve the conditions of these workers and lobbied the Government to introduce licensing for labour providers.

Tragically, it took the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in February 2004 for the Government to realise that regulation was essential. The Gangmaster Act, passed in July 2004, provides extra legal protection for up to 600,000 seasonal workers.

For Teresa, the key factor in the TLWG's success was that it involved everyone in the food supply chain, including labour providers, suppliers, retailers, trade unions as well as government. She says the Gangmaster Licensing Authority (GLA) has been effective so far and is "sending out a very strong and positive message that exploiting workers is not only unacceptable - it's also illegal."

A drastic reduction in child labour is needed

Around the world, 12,000 young people die each year from extreme conditions such as toxic pesticides.

But despite the progress that's been made, Teresa says there is a long way to go. In particular, she believes we need to see a "drastic reduction" in child labour, 70% of which is found in agriculture.

Around the world, 132 million children are working in agriculture and as many as 12,000 young people die each year from extreme conditions such as toxic pesticides and long hours - many of them in bonded labour.

Teresa firmly believes that action to improve the living and working conditions of adult workers is key to the elimination of child labour. That means enforcing labour rights and strengthening the position of trade unions. Full rights for workers and access to education for children is vital.

"People do care" she says. "We just need to keep pushing forward to help children like these have access to education and the opportunity to just be kids."

Finally, she says, "If we can make any difference, then it's all worthwhile."