Clean Clothes Campaign: Educate and Mobilise Consumers!
Issued on July 13, 2010 at 11:36 AM
Improve working conditions of garment workers in the global south.
The Irish branch of Clean Clothes Campaign will be launched within some months. As part of the preparations a public meeting was held in Dublin on the 25th of May. More than 50, mostly young, people attended. Almost all of them signed a list declaring their interest to join the work of an Irish branch of the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC).
The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) is dedicated to improve working conditions and supporting the empowerment of workers in the garment and sportswear industry in the global south. CCC is focused on educating and mobilising consumers. When consumers demand that their clothes and sportswear is produced under decent work conditions, things can start to change. CCC is also lobbying companies and governments, asking them to respect workers' rights. Direct solidarity with workers in the global south and their trade unions is also a part of CCC's important activities.
Ireland to be the 15th CCC member
The Clean Clothes Campaign already exists in 14 European countries. ICTU Global Solidarity is working together with four other organisations since last autumn to establish an Irish branch to be the 15th member of the European CCC network. The Irish branch will be built on the cooperation between the retail workers' trade union Mandate, the Ethical Fashion group Re-Dress and the two development NGOs; Trocaire and Comhlamh. Individual members will also be very welcome to join the activities of CCC in the future.
At the meeting in Dublin on the 25th of May the Chairperson Sally Anne Kinahan, Assistant General Secretary of Congress, emphasised the positive results we can achieve by working together. Each progressive organisation, with their own identity and programme, enriches the process when building a new network organization like the Clean Clothes Campaign.
The consumer's role
Samantha Maher who is based in London and represented the CCC international network said in her address that; "all garment workers -- regardless of sex, age, country of origin, legal status, employment status or location -- have a right to good and safe working conditions and earn a living wage, which allows them to live in dignity." Samantha also emphasised the role of the consumers; "the public has a right to know where and how their garments and sports shoes are produced". She declared that CCC all over Europe "takes action to see that workers' rights are respected. However, the CCC does not generally endorse boycotts as a tool for action".
Tribute to Neil Kearney
The film "Race to the bottom" about exploited garment workers in Bangladesh was shown. In the film from 2002 the late Neil Kearney from Donegal was one of the main speakers. He was the General Secretary of the International Textile Workers Union. His Italian colleague Silvana Cappuccio paid a tribute to him in her contribution to the meeting; "Neil was close to the most vulnerable workers, the people who need to make their voice heard, those who are neglected by this cynical society and lead by those who are the strongest players". Silvana quoted Neil Kearney saying; "The most common problem among garment workers in the global south is malnutrition. Let us be clear: No one should be paid so little that they can't afford to feed themselves".
That is reason enough to join the Clean Clothes Campaign!
Read more about Clean Clothes campaign - click here
Read Silvana Cappuccio's tribute to Neil Kearney - click here