In the last one year , a dozen or so reports have been released by various NGOs , or what the international media calls ‘ watchdog agencies ’ on labour rights ’ violations in garment manufacturing countries . The common thread that runs through all the reports is that despite claims to the contrary , workers are still facing many issues , including harassment and physical abuse at factories . Even retailers are many a time turning a blind eye to get products as per their lead time and price point requirements . Though the concern for the workers is justified and more changes do need to happen , the way these reports are put together and presented is questionable , as is the intention behind the reports . |
This is not the first time , nor is this the last time when the authenticity and credibility of a report is being questioned . In the past also , Apparel Online had dug deep into these reports and even presented viewpoints of companies mentioned in the report . More often than not , these companies refute the allegations made and claim that their side of the story is not presented , some even altogether reject the methodology used to collect the data . Readers may recall that in March 2016 , the report ‘ Unfree and Unfair ’ released by the India Committee of the Netherlands ( ICN ), an independent NGO , made some serious allegations against India ’ s top exporters in Bangalore that run hostel facilities for their workers . The report claimed that the garment workers still face serious issues like poor living conditions and restricted freedom of movement despite commitments from big brands to address these problems . Apparel Online was unconvinced about the findings of the report and contacted the companies mentioned for direct clarification . As expected the feedback was of disbelief and anger against the intention of the report , an indication of how NGOs are systematically ruining the reputation of exporters and the country in particular . What was most disturbing and is true for almost all reports that are released by
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ESSENTIALS
Multi-stakeholder initiatives – involving different stakeholders from the garment industry , such as brands and NGOs , including the Ethical Trading Initiative , the Fair Labor Association , and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition – should play an important role in moving the industry toward basic transparency . The factories too need to be involved . Blaming each other , helps no one !
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‘ Watch Groups ’ is that the report was based mostly on desk research , hearsay and interviews with some migrant workers working in the named factories . The number of workers interviewed were also too few per company to justify a generic statement of non-compliance ; and most importantly , the companies ; were not contacted for their feedback …; both factors raise doubt on the ‘ real ’ intention of the report .
The WRC report hits directly at India ’ s largest exporter …
The various reports released in the last one year are no different , the most talked about report being
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