Femnet e.V.

Clothing brands and retailers usually do not produce the items they sell but have their products made by a variety of manufacturers that are authorised located in low-cost countries. As fashion trends are changing at an ever faster pace, the industry is operating at ever higher speeds and demanding quick, flexible and cheap production from its suppliers to keep up. Inherently linked to this operating model is, among others, the risk of precarious workplaces that are incorporated into the supply chain through committed subcontracting arrangements.

Editorial team: Anning, Vicky

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The Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices (CFRPP) (the framework) provides a common language and alignment on what constitutes responsible purchasing practices. It is the result of a 2-year process of the MSI Working Group on Purchasing Practices (the Working Group).

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The garment and footwear sector employs millions of low-skilled workers, many of whom are women and acts as an entry point into the formal economy in many countries. As such, enterprises operating in the sector have the potential to generate growth, employment and skill development through their own operations and sourcing. However, human rights and labour abuses and harm to the environment by enterprises are prevalent throughout the supply chain in this sector. While such impacts are not new to the sector, the characteristics of modern global supply chains–such as stages of the production process spread across diverse countries, short lead times and short-term buyer-supplier relationships- can reduce visibility and control over an enterprise’s supply chain and can create challenges for enterprises to meet their responsibilities. Within this context, the risks of human rights and labour abuses, of environmental damage and integrity risks should be managed throughout the supply chain in order to ensure that the positive impacts of this global industry are maximised.

The purpose of this Guidance is to support a common understanding of due diligence in the garment and footwear sector aligned with the OECD Guidelines. This Guidance provides recommendations for enterprises on how to implement due diligence according to the OECD Guidelines in their own operations and in their supply chains. Due diligence should be ongoing, proactive and reactive and applied with flexibility and should not lead to a “tick the box” approach.

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The fact sheet first deals with the textile industry in India, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. It then introduces the system of camp work, which has so far been discussed under the heading of Sumangali and represents a modern form of slavery. Finally, it presents demands from local non-governmental organisations aimed at spinning mills, international buyers – i.e. fashion companies that also sell their clothes in Germany – and governments in Europe. The fact sheet can be used as teaching material.

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As the Syrian civil war, enters its ninth year, more than half of the Syrian population has been forcedfully displaced from their homes, with 5.6 million seeking refuge abroad. With its open door policy, Turkey has contributed significantly to humanitarian relief for more than 3.5 million civilians affected by the war in Syria.

The vast majority of Syrians in Turkey reside outside of refugee camps, making their living from waged labour in towns and cities across Turkey, including work in the garment industry. Turkey’s garment industry has become one of the largest sources of income for Syrians, with an estimated 250,000-400,000 Syrian workers.

Focusing on how refugee workers experience and navigate their precarious situations, this report sheds light on both the individual as well as the structural factors that enable and constrain refugee workers in their struggle for a decent life in Turkey. While the purchasing practices of brands and the domestic policy framework remain decisive in shaping the conditions on the factory floor, refugees’ own agency and struggles must be understood as a constitutive element of their workplace experience.

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