>> Download Monsoon's Response
>> Download Arcadia's Response (Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge etc.)
>> See the report
What they said:
NEXT was keen to inform us about a conference it held in Gurgaon about worker exploitation via contract labour. It appears to be confronting the issues head on. It's a shame no local NGOs, civil society groups or workers were invited however – the people with first hand experience of the issues for whom lack of rights are a daily reality. NEXT's project 'auto pilot' aims to create workplaces where mature employer-employee relationships can develop, and workers can bargain for their own improved rights and wages. Great! But, as the report shows, on the ground this is still not having any effect. We say, more and faster!
M&S didn't agree with our demand to eliminate short term contract labour from its supply chain, calling it 'discrimination' and 'harmful'. We agree that workers should have the freedom to choose to make short term commitment to work – sometimes this makes most sense if you plan to move soon or similar – but for the MAJORITY of workers in Gurgaon, contract labour and temporary work isn't a choice but a cycle of exploitation used by employers who shirk responsibilities and pay bad wages. M&S were also keen to flout their Plan A commitment to pay a Living Wage to workers in India by 2015. This is an initiate we obviously applaud, but look forward to seeing the actual benchmark figures published. Will these be based on real worker need rather than short term achievability? We hope.
Debenhams simply failed to respond. The most we have got from them is a quote in The People: “We take the way we source our products very seriously. If we find issues, we work with suppliers to ensure corrective action”. This isn't good enough when workers are suffering on a daily basis. As an ETI member, we expected more.
Monsoon seemed to have thought through the issues of contract labour, saying it prefers workers to be employed on full time contracts, but if peak production does require some temporary contract workers, it insists workers are paid the same as those on permanent contracts directly through the supplier so clear records can be kept. Monsoon also made good noises about discussing a union rights programme with the international union movement, and gave details of productivity programmes and piece rate studies. No numbers or definite plans were offered however – what is the timescale for the living wage aims? What is going to be done about union rights? - so we felt their response lacked substance.
Arcadia attended NEXT's conference on contract labour, met with someone from the Asia Floor Wage coalition on wages, and is doing a training programme with staff on pricing – lots of internal meetings it seems with little to show. A project on contract labour with 3 supplier factories, just started, was mentioned however, which is great. We're going to meet them about it soon. More news to follow.
