Productivity, Lean and Garment Workers’ Wages and Working conditions

by Liz Parker for Women Working Worldwide, Central American Women’s Network and Labour Behind the Label

Adapted from a Powerpoint presentation

Summary of conclusions

A rights based perspective

• Changes to business processes that may impact on wages and working conditions should be measured by their effectiveness in delivering positive outcomes for workers, and in mitigating negative outcomes.
• Employers must ensure that where they exist, trade unions are fully consulted with regard to any changes in the workplace.
• Focus of activities should be on:
  • Payment of a living wage to workers for a normal working week
  • Provision of safe and hygienic working environments
  • Entering into stable, formal employment relationships with workers
  • Respect for workers’ right to freedom of association and collective bargaining
• How this is done is a matter for brands / retailers to decide, along with worker representatives.
• Therefore there is a question about whether labour rights organisations engage with this debate.

Outline of report

1. Background to the research
2. Productivity activity
3. Impact on garment workers
4. Conclusions

1. Background to the research

Initial impetus for this research

• In response to pressure to ensure workers are paid a living wages, UK brands/retailers began to implement productivity related projects.
• Women Working Worldwide, Labour Behind the Label and Central American Women’s Network had concerns these projects would not lead to a living wage and that they could lead to negative impacts on workers.

However, there was

• Very little information about what is meant by productivity and what the implications are for workers;
• Little engagement from labour rights organisations.

Methodology: desk based research, surveys and interviews with brands and retailers, labour rights organisations and donors in 2009 and 2010