Garment Industry Supply Chains

 Garment Industry Supply Chains

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135. Garment Industry Supply Chains

Số trang: 80 trang

Ngôn ngữ: English

Introduction

women working worldwide garment supply chain education pack introduction

Why this pack was produced

In today’s era of ‘globalisation’, many goods are produced in complicated patterns of

subcontracting that stretch across the world. It is happening on a huge scale, and in

many industries - both in manufacturing and in services.

The increasing informalisation of the workforce is a key feature of subcontracting.

‘Informalisation’ means the practice by employers of hiring workers in such a way that

they are not recognised as employees under labour law, that is to say as ‘formal’ workers.

‘Informal’ workers may be on repeated short-term contracts, or working as ‘casuals’ or

as homeworkers, for example. Such workers have little chance of claiming their legal

rights. Many do not know who they are really working for. Meanwhile their employers

avoid their legal responsibilities, reduce their costs, and increase their profits.

Employers are not necessarily breaking the law; they are simply side-stepping it.

But the hard-won employment rights of workers are being deeply eroded.

Subcontracting supply chains can be quite difficult to understand. So too can

their impact on workers’ organisation. The situation is presenting many challenges

for the trade union movement around the world.

The garment industry is one that is particularly mobile, and its supply chains have

become truly global and complicated. The industry is constantly seeking out

vulnerable sectors of society from which to draw its workers, and often shifts

location to avoid trade unions. Garment workers are finding it extremely difficult

to organise to defend their rights.

So, this pack focuses on the garment industry. The main aim is to assist garment

workers, the majority of whom are women, to understand the supply chains in which

they are working. We believe this will help them to maximise their opportunities

to organise and build solidarity to claim their rights.

Strong, local organisation of workers is the essential first step, along with solid

support from the local community. But when working in a supply chain, it becomes

important to build links between workers at different points along the supply

chains, even between many countries.

International solidarity can be a very daunting prospect, particularly for isolated

workers. However, trade unions and campaigning organisations in many parts of

the world exist to support and assist in this process.

With strong local, national and international organisation, workers at all stages of the

garment production process stand a better chance of achieving success in their struggle

for respect, a living wage, decent working conditions, and their rights to organise.

Complicated subcontracting supply chains are now developing in many industries.

Therefore the issues contained in this pack may provide a useful way for others,

not just garment workers, to explore the industry in which they work and how to

strengthen their organisations.