Zara: setting the bar

Transparent. Humane. Local. A few months ago the new ZARA store opened downtown. I was excited because I had been to the store in New York- and during a bi-annual sale :). After my new-found desire not to purchase clothes made in sweatshop-like conditions, I knew I had to do some investigating. ZARA is owned by the company Inditex. With only a few clicks, I found this code of conduct. It is something worth reading through. They demand fair treatment of employees throughout their factories as well as by their suppliers. You can check out Zara's site here: http://zara.com


Internal Code of Conduct

Inditex does not employ anyone who is below the legal age.

No-one who is employed at Inditex is discriminated against because of their race, physical disability, religion, age, nationality or sex.

The employees of Inditex have their right recognised to associate or organise themselves or to bargain collectively.

At Inditex no form of physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse is permitted.

The salary received by Inditex employees is in accordance with the function performed, always respecting the pacts of each sector.

Inditex guarantees that its employees perform their work in safe and healthy workplaces.


Business partners
Inditex makes sure that each and every one of its business partners fulfils the contents of the paragraphs of this Code on customers and employees.


Suppliers
The External Manufacturers and Workshops of Inditex are bound to comply with the contents of the employees and customers paragraphs of this Code. Likewise, they permit any monitoring by Inditex, or authorised third parties, to verify their compliance.


Customers
Inditex undertakes to offer to all its customers a standard of excellence in all its products; at the same time, it guarantees that its products do not entail a risk to their health or safety.

Society
Inditex undertakes to collaborate with the local, national and international communities in which it operates. To guarantee adequate introduction and subsequent mamagement of the Code of Conduct in the chain of production.



Inditex code of conduct for external manufacturers and suppliers

Introduction.
After the incorporation by Inditex of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) in 2005, Inditex undertook to incorporate its Base Code to the Code of Conduct for External Manufacturers and Workshops. For this purpose, the Board of Directors of Inditex modifi ed the above-mentioned Code in July 2007.

The regulatory framework on which the new Code is articulated is made up of:

* The agreements of the ILO.

* The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations.

* The Principles of the Global Compact of the United Nations.

* The Directives of the OECD for multinational companies.

* The Base Code of ETI.

* The locally applicable employment legislation.

* The local legislation in environmental matters and, in the absence thereof, the international legislation that is in force.

This new Code is expressed in eleven points:

No forced labour.
Inditex shall not allow any form of forced or involuntary labour in the production centres and/or facilities of its external manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors may not require their employees to make any kind of “deposits”, nor are they entitled to retain their identity papers.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall acknowledge the right of their employees to leave their employer after reasonable notice.


No child labour.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall not employ minors. Inditex defines minors as those persons under the age of 16.In the event that local legislation would provide a higher age limit, the company shall respect the local provision.

Persons under 18 shall not be employed in night shifts or in hazardous conditions pursuant to the definition thereof provided under Recommendation 190 of the International Labour Organization.

Where the existence of any form of child labour is detected in the production centres and/or facilities of external manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors, protocols designed for the suppression thereof must be applied, and educational programmes ensuring the suppression of any form of exclusion of minors until they attain the minimum labour age required must be developed.


No discrimination.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall not apply any type of discriminatory practice as regards the recruitment, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination of the employment agreement or retirement, based on race, caste, creed, nationality, religion, age, physical or mental disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and/or union membership or political affiliation.


Respect for freedom of association and collective bargaining.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall ensure that their employees, without distinction, have the right of association, union membership and collective bargaining. No retaliation may arise from the exercise of such right and no remuneration or payment whatsoever may be offered to the employees in order to hinder the exercise of such right.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall adopt an open and collaborative attitude towards the activities of Trade Unions.

Workers´ representatives shall be protected from discrimination and shall be free to carry out their representative functions in their workplace.

Where the Rights to Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining are restricted under Law, the appropriate channels to ensure a reasonable and independent exercise of such rights must be designed.


No harsh or inhumane treatment.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall treat their employees with dignity and respect. Under no circumstances shall physical punishment, sexual or racial harassment, verbal or power abuse or any other form of harassment or intimidation be permitted.


Safe and hygienic working conditions.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall provide a safe and healthy workplace to their employees, ensuring minimum conditions of light, ventilation, hygiene, fire prevention, safety measures, and access to a drinking water supply.

Workers shall have access to clean toilets facilities and drinking water. Where necessary, facilities for food storage shall be provided.


Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean and safe.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall take the required steps to prevent accidents and injuries to health of their workers, by minimizing as much as possible, the risks inherent to work.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall provide their workers with regular training in the matter of health and safety at work. The company shall keep an appropriate record of the training courses done.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall appoint a person in charge of health and safety within the Management, duly authorised and with the appropriate decision taking power.


Wages are paid.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall ensure that wages paid for a standard working week shall meet at least the minimum legal or collective bargain agreement, whichever is higher. In any event, wages should always be enough to meet at least the basic needs of workers and their families and any other which might be considered as reasonable additional needs.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall not proceed to any withholdings and/or deductions from wages for disciplinary purposes, nor for any reasons other than those provided in the applicable regulations, without the express authorisation of workers.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall provide all workers with: written and understandable information about their wages conditions upon their recruitment, and information about the particulars of their wages every time that these are paid.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall also ensure that wages and any other allowances or benefits are paid on time and rendered in full compliance with all applicable laws and specifically, that payments are made in the manner that best suits the workers.


Working hours are not excessive.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall adjust the length of the working day to the provisions of the applicable laws or of the collective bargain agreement for the sector in question, should this latter afford greater protection for the workers.

At no event shall external manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors require their employees to work, as a rule of thumb, in excess of 48 hours a week and workers shall be granted at least one day off for every 7 calendar day period on average.

Overtime shall be voluntary, shall not exceed 12 hours per week, shall not be demanded on a regular basis and shall always be compensated at a premium rate, pursuant to the provisions of the prevailing regulations in force.


Environmental awareness.
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall be duly committed at all times to protect the environment and shall comply, at least, with the standards and requirements of the applicable Local and International Laws and Regulations.


Regular employment
External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors undertake that all the employment formulas they use are part of the ordinary labour practice and the applicable local laws.

External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall not impair the rights of workers acknowledged under the labour and social security laws and regulations by using schemes of: subcontracting, homeworking, training and apprenticeship contracts or any other like formula which prevents promotion of regular employment in the framework or regular employment relationships.

Code implementation
* Subcontracting.- External manufacturers and suppliers shall not subcontract any work without the prior written authorisation of Inditex. External manufacturers and suppliers, which subcontract work for Inditex, shall be responsible for the subcontractors’ compliance with the Code. External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall apply the principles of the Code to any homewoker involved in their supply chain, and they shall give transparency to the locations and working conditions of said homeworkers.

* Management Systems.- External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall implement and maintain programmes to set in train this Code. External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall appoint a senior member of Management who shall be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this Code. External manufacturers and suppliers and their subcontractors shall communicate the Code to all employees and to their contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, agents and homeworkers in any way involved in the Inditex Supply Chain.

* Supervision and Compliance.- External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall authorize Inditex and/or any third parties the former might appoint, to carry out inspections and audits in order to verify the appropriate enforcement of the Code. For these purposes, they shall provide the inspectors and/or auditors with the required means and the appropriate access to the facilities and documentation required to ensure this verification.

* Ethical Commitment.- External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall carry out their activities in a honest, upright and transparent way, keeping for these purposes an appropriate accounting records system, as a preventive measure versus any manner of corruption, bribe and extortion that might arise. External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall not offer, grant, request or accept any gifts or donations to/from Inditex buyers which might infringe the provisions of the “Internal Guidelines for the Responsible Practices of the Inditex Group Personnel”. External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall not manipulate or influence their workers, nor shall they forge any files or records in order to alter the verification process regarding compliance with this Code. External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors shall neither offer nor accept remuneration of any kind which in perception, or in effect, seeks to affect the impartial judgement or the objectivity of such parties appointed by Inditex to carry out inspections and compliance audits in connection with this Code.

* Health and Safety of products.- External manufacturers, suppliers and their subcontractors undertake to apply Inditex´s health and safety product standards in all manufacturing processes of raw materials, finished products, accessories and footwear that they provide to Inditex.

* Publication of the Code.- External manufacturers, suppliers and subcontractors’ Management teams shall inform their employees about the contents of this Code. A copy of the same, translated into the local language shall be displayed in accessible locations for all workers.

* Reference to national legislation and collective agreements.- The provisions of this Code constitute only minimum standards. Should national regulations or any other applicable Law or any other commitments undertaken or applicable, including collective bargaining agreements, govern the same issue that provision which offers greater protection for workers shall apply.

Advocate Freedom in honor of MLK

According to the International Labor Rights Forum, "The US Department of State estimates that more than 109,000 children in Cote d’Ivoire’s cocoa industry work under “the worst forms of child labor,” and that some 10,000 are victims of human trafficking or enslavement." Nestle, Hershey's and Mars/M&M's are all linked with using cocoa produced in the Cote D'Ivoire. Worse, these companies were made aware of their offenses in 2001 and since have broken several promises to fix this problem. Please send an e-mail to these companies through this website: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/chocolate .

Plan ahead for Valentine's Day and purchase fair trade chocolate products here: http://www.globalexchangestore.org/SearchResults.asp?Cat=38

Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Monday, January 11th is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. In honor of this day, the following events have been scheduled. I hope to attend both events. If you are in the Chicago area, let me know if you'd like to join me.


Human Trafficking Awareness Day: On Monday, January 11th, at 7:00pm Traffick Free will host an awareness event in partnership with the Illinois Rescue and Restore Coalition. We will be screening the documentary, Cargo: Innocence Lost, followed by a panel discussion with Chicago's top anti-trafficking experts. For more details, see the attached flyer, and spread the word! More info here.

Fair Trade Wine and Chocolate Tasting: Come sip, taste, learn and shop with us at our Fair Trade Wine and Chocolate Tasting, with guest speaker Bonnie McIntyre of International Justice Mission. Mark your calendar for Thursday, January 14th from 7:30-9:30pm at Greenheart Shop (1911 W. Division).

*Sip* delectable fair trade wines supplied by local Chicago distributors.

*Taste* scrumptious fair trade chocolate donated by the Greenheart Shop.

*Learn* about human trafficking on the front lines from Bonnie McIntyre of International
Justice Mission in Cambodia.

*Shop* bags by Malia Designs and other fair trade, slavery free products at Greenheart Shop.

Malia Designs was formed to increase economic opportunity for women in developing countries, and to support local and international non-profit organizations that fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Their products are made by non-profit organizations that employ disadvantaged people in developing countries as well as small family producers.

Lia of Malia Designs will be at the event to introduce her products and discuss her business. For more information on Malia Designs, go to http://www.maliadesigns.com/index.php

The Greenheart Shop, which will provide the event space, is a non-profit, fair trade store in Chicago carrying items that are both sustainably and ethically produced. Greenheart offers a wide variety of goods including recycled accessories and handbags, home goods, gourmet treats, cookbooks, glassware, jewelry, toys, personal care, clothing and more!

Greenheart believes consumers have the power to affect positive World change by supporting sustainable and fair business practices in their purchasing choices. For more information about Green Shop, access http://www.greenheartshop.org/

Pay $5 for an advanced ticket (contact morganoel@gmail.com) or $10 at the door to enjoy an evening of discussion and impact with Traffick Free.

Sweatshops and Human Trafficking

This morning I came across proof of what I have feared all along: the connection between Human Trafficking and sweatshops. Last year I became more aware about the awful truths regarding Human Trafficking. Since my venture into digging deeper into the subject of sweatshops,etc. I got this nagging feeling that there was a link. This morning I found one as I was researching Kohl's on Responsible Shopper.
A few years ago a sweatshop in Daewoosa, a company in American Samoa, was found guilty of many horrific offenses including: women held as indentured servants, human trafficking, sexual harassment (factory bosses watched the women shower and dress), brutality (they show a picture of a pile of clothes that had to be trashed because they were stained with workers' blood), failure to pay wages, and the list goes on. It sickens me to tell you this sweatshop supplied clothing for J.C. Penny, Kohl's, Target, Walmart, Sears, and more. Vietnamese workers were 'recruited' by a Korean owned company to work in Somoa, an American territory, so the clothes could be labeled "Made in the USA." You can read more details and see some very sad pictures at these sites from CorpWatch and the National Labor Commission.
Unfortunately I have to believe this is just the tip of the iceberg. I have a feeling there are many connections between some of the corrupt owners of these sweatshops and human trafficking.
As I learn more, I will keep posting. In the mean time, here are some facts regarding Human Trafficking and forced labor:
"According to the United Nations Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, an estimated 20 million people were held in bonded slavery as of 1999.
• In 2004 there are more slaves than were seized from Africa during four centuries of trans-Atlantic slave trade. (Kevin Bales, Disposable People)
• In 1850 a slave in the Southern United States cost the equivalent of $40,000 today. According to Free the Slaves, a slave today costs an average of $90.
• Approximately two-thirds of today’s slaves are in South Asia. Human Rights Watch estimates that in India alone there are as many as 15 million children in bonded slavery."- International Justice Mission Fact Sheet

If you would like more information regarding Human Trafficking, please check out International Justice Mission's website. IJM has a very educational site and outlines direct ways you can help their cause. If you want to financially support any agency to help stop these tragic crimes, I recommend IJM. Also, Gary Haugen has written a book, "Just Courage" filled with stories about IJM workers going in and rescuing victims of human trafficking, forced labor, and child prostitution. For such a heavy subject, it is really an encouraging and enlightening book (and 33% of the proceeds go to IJM).

Next week there are a couple exciting events (Monday and Thursday evenings) regarding Human Trafficking awareness in Chicago, if you are interested in attending with me, send me an e-mail. For those of you not from the area, don't worry I will post a full report!

Bundle UP..sweat free :)

It is COLD! Like can't breath, can't feel my face cold! If you are in the market for a new layer (or 7), here are some valid options. These are a little pricier than you may find at your local department store, but they are good quality and should last for many years. Shout out to my friend Jayme for enlightening me about Patagonia- a sweat free company. There is a store about 5 blocks from our apartment, so why don't you all come by and we can go get warm together!
The scarves and black "cardigan" are fair trade pieces.

































(Each photo is linked to the site where you can purchase it).