2010 labour rights public presentation
DESCRIPTION
Oxfam Australia is working, along with other international organisations, to persuade major companies to improve the rights and conditions of workers.You can help by taking action with us:www.oxfam.org.au/labour-rights-actionWorkers in developing countries have a pretty raw deal. They’re paid minimal wages and are often forced to work long hours in harsh – often dangerous – conditions. Yet, they’re producing some of the world’s most expensive and coveted brands.In the sportswear and garment industry – where much of our work focuses – most of these workers are women. Major sportswear brands rake in billions of dollars in profits every year, spend millions of dollars on slick ad campaigns and sponsor the highest-earning players in sport from David Beckham to Michael Jordan. But dig beneath this glamorous façade and you’ll see that this industry is built on the hard-working backs of some of the world’s poorest men and women.Sportswear workers in Asia endure long hours in sweatshop-like conditions for on average less than US $3 a day and still struggle to feed and clothe themselves and their families.There’s something wrong with this picture.We're working hard to ensure that the big brands like Nike, adidas and Puma treat their workers with respect and pay them enough to meet their basic needs.How are we doing this?By making the garment and sportswear giants accountable.Join our campaign and support the human rights of workers:www.oxfam.org.au/labour-rights-actionTRANSCRIPT
Workers in developing countries get a pretty raw
deal
They’re paid minimal wages and are often
forced to work long hours in difficult
– often dangerous – conditions
In the sportswear and garment industry most of
these workers are women.
Many have migrated from rural areas where there
are few employment opportunities
Their reality is long and intensive working
days for very low pay
Workers who want to form unions and bargain
collectively frequently face...
...discrimination...
...harassment...
...threats of dismissal...
...and in some cases violent intimidation
Wages are barely enough for workers to get by on…
…let alone to support their families.
…let alone to support
their families
Yet while workers struggle to make ends
meet…
…they’re producing some of the world’s most
expensive and coveted brands
Brands that spend big dollars on glossy ad
campaigns
And some make millions of dollars in profits each
year
Many workers
believe that their
workplaces and their
lives can be better
Despite all the risks, many workers form
unions and organise for their rights and better
working conditions
These workers want the sportswear and garment
industry to recognise their basic rights...
Send a message to their employers…
Freedom of Association
To earn a living wage
Fair work conditions
Freedom from workplace violence &harassment
Oxfam Australia supports these workers by ensuring
their voices are heard
www.oxfam.org.au/labour-rights-action
Oxfam Australia particularly supports and encourages
women workers—as the majority of
sportswear workers—to take a leading role
We support unions to campaign for workers
rights, lobby companies and sometimes
governments to respect labour rights.
We provide resources and support to worker
organisations.
We help strengthen the labour rights movement by
working in international coalitions.
Oxfam supports worker
organisations in building
networks and coalitions
Oxfam supports training opportunities and leadership
training to women
Oxfam promotes solutions by researching labour rights
issues and making recommendations to major
brands
Has there been success in supporting workers’ rights?
There is now greater transparency and public
disclosure by major sports brands who publish factory
names and addresses
There are labour codes and compliance staff who seek to monitor and enforce labour
standards
There has been increased dialogue
between sports brands and civil society
The legal minimum wage is now mostly paid
Living and working conditions in some sportswear supplier
factories have improved
New opportunities have arisen out of alternative business models that support the rights of
workers, like the Solidarity Cooperative in Thailand
BUT
There remains much work to be done
Workers need your support:www.oxfam.org.au/labour-rights-action
Why?
Sportswear companies send conflicting messages to their supplier factories
Too often the policies of brands are not supported by their buying practices
Brands require their supplier factories to
respect labour rights, but their business model demands high quality
products with a fast turn around at a low cost
Brands may require suppliers to uphold rights
and safety, but don’t allocate sufficient
resources to ensure respect for those rights
So what can you do to support the efforts of
women and men sportswear workers to achieve a better life?
Every action can help make a difference
Join our campaign!www.oxfam.org.au/
support-workers-rights
Keep brands behaving!www.oxfam.org.au/labour-rights-action
www.oxfam.org.au/support-workers-rights
Photo Credits:
Tim Herbert/OxfamAUS*
Ben Adams/OxfamAUS*
Rino Hidayah/OxfamAUS*
Sarah Rennie/OxfamAUS*
Fernando Moleres/OxfamIntermon