by | Dec 20, 2017 | action updates, Blog
Find our what Labour Behind the Label have been up to in our bi-annual Action Update.
2017 has been a busy and important year for Labour Behind the Label. As we respond to external factors around funding we continue to make impact and push for change for the workers who make our clothes.
Here you will read about the Change Your Shoes campaign where you will be provided with a round-up of our work changing how the shoe industry operates. You will read updates on the most pressing Urgent Appeals we are focusing on – in Cambodia and Turkey where workers are not being listened to and refused their rights. We are doing all we can to change this.
Also in this update you will hear about ways to get involved in with fundraising – at a time when it is needed most. Donate to support our Urgent Appeal work, or sign up to raise awareness and funds through our Six Items Challenge.
Read it here: Action Update Winter 2017
by | Mar 1, 2017 | Blog, News, reports, Resources - Shoes, Shoes
Report: No Excuses for Homework
Working conditions in the Indonesian leather and footwear sector.
Indonesia is the fourth largest footwear manufacturer worldwide after China, India, and Vietnam, producing one billion pairs of shoes in 2015 which equals a world share of 4.4 %. It is hence worth taking a look at Indonesia to learn more about the social and ecological footprint of leather shoes worn in Europe. But despite some initial achievements and the existence of considerable legislation, working conditions in the Indonesian leather and footwear sector leave much to be desired. This is the result of report published today by SÜDWIND and INKOTA.
Download the report here >>
Download the factsheet here >>
Published March 2017.
by | Jan 4, 2017 | action updates, Blog, Resources - Shoes
Find our what Labour Behind the Label have been up to in our bi-annual Action Update.
Since our last update two of our projects have come to an end and we’ll share some of the successes that happened as a result. Our transparency campaign is really developing now, read on to find out how you can get involved, by either joining our army of activists or supporting our crowdfunder. Also in this update you will read about the landmark compensation arrangement which was reached on the 4th anniversary of the deadly Pakistan factory fire and an update on the Chinese activists who were charged and found guilty of “gathering a crowd to disturb social order”.
Read it here: Action Update Winter 2016
by | Apr 7, 2016 | Press release
For immediate release
Labour Behind the Label
7th April 2016
EU citizens demand transparent and fair production of shoes and leather
A delegation of the Change Your Shoes consortium brought the campaign’s demands to the European Parliament
15 MEPs from different members states and political groups attended the Change Your Shoes meeting in Brussels. They were presented with the European citizens requirements: we want more transparency in the supply chains of shoe and leather industries, strict criteria for incoming goods and better information provided by labels on our shoes. These demands result from 12 open debates, the People’s Meetings, which took place in 12 European member states including London, England, as well as from the Virtual March to Brussels supported by 16.000 European citizens.
Change Your Shoes raises awareness among citizens, brands and policy makers about the need to address the human and labour rights abuses in shoe and leather supply chains: low wages, excessive overtime, unsafe work environment and lack of true freedom of association is the everyday experience for thousands of workers producing our shoes. 24 billion pairs of shoes were produced worldwide in 2014. 88% of all this production comes from Asia.
At these 12 open People’s Meetings 767 participants, including experts, policy makers, trade unioninsts and accademics discussed and developed proposals on how EU trade and development policy can be improved to better protect labour and human rights of those who work on goods for European market. A summary of the 12 People’s Meeting report was handed out to the MEPs and its key areas demands were presented:
- We need more transparency in the shoe supply chain: as people become aware of the low standards of working conditions in the shoe and garment industries arround the globe they come to realise there is not much we know about any specific t-shirt or pair of boots we are buying. It should be mandatory for EU based brands to publish their supply chains so that they could all be readily linked to conditions in specific factories. An EU-controlled label should mark that minimum social requirements are being met.
- We demand control of goods entering the EU: goods that enter the EU should be made with respect to human rights and and with fair working conditions. Social barriers should be set to goods trespassing the EU borders as a tool for improving conditions were they are made and trade agreements should reflect that.
“We want the EU to introduce legislation to regulate the industry, protect workers and inform consumers in an easy and accessible way about the conditions under which their shoes were produced and the toxic content they may have”, states Ilana Winterstein, UK coordinator of the campaign Change Your Shoes.
This demand for more transparency was supported by 16,000 citizens through a mobile application that counted their steps and added them in a Virtual March to Brussels. Together they collected over 63 million steps, although only 59 million were required to reach Brussels from 28 member state capital cities.
Eci Ernawati, from the Trade Union Rights Center in Indonesia, also partner of the Change Your Shoes’ Consortium, explained to the MEPs the specific conditions of labour rights in her country where there is a lack of enforcement of labour law leaving workers without effective protection. Wanti, an Indonesian homeworker, brought her testimony of the conditions of her work. When she can work 10 hours a day she is paid about 800,000 rupia a month; the equivalent to approximately £43. According to Asia Floor Wage Alliance, the living wage in Indonesia is around £243, which means workers like Wanti remain trapped in a poverty cycle despite her long working hours.
Homeworkers in Indonesia, as well as in other Asian contries, have no contract, no health insurance and no security of employment. Acording to Indonesian local governments, homeworkers are not even officially workers and have no right to join a union.
“European brands should be aware of homeworkers conditions and take steps to protect their rights. Homeworkers are not always aware of those rights and have no bargaining power whatsoever in front of the factories they work for from home. They cannot protest because they would be easily replaced, but they need the money for their households” states Eci Ernawati, from the Trade Union Rights Center.
MEPs that attended the meeting were moved and engaged in a fruitful dialogue with the consortium representatives about how they could promote better working conditions in shoe producer countries from the EU.
by | Apr 4, 2016 | reports, Resources - Shoes
A report written from the findings and suggestions provided by 12 People’s Meetings held across Europe in 2015.
This report focuses on what action EU citizens would like the EU to take to ensure a fairer global shoe industry.
Download the report here: Report_ChangeYourShoes_web_pages
