The Sportswear Industry : Boom or Gloom ?

Extraits de l'étude de marché

[...] The answer is to create international regulations that could defend minimum labour standards. In many poor countries, labour regulations are ignored. It is a way to attract foreign investment where labour costs are much lower and legal constraints are virtually non-existent. For instance, in Turkey trade unions are prohibited in free trade zones[24]. Most of the basic rights are codified in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights that all members of the United Nations have signed. Most of the rights contained in the declaration are reflected in international regulations and often, they inspire national legislation. [...]

[...] Their creation has rung alarm bells in many western countries and has increased awareness of the fact that buying sportswear goes much further than expressing taste in fashion; it can be seen as condoning human rights violations Overview of the main organisations Many organisations have been created to defend labour rights in the textile and particularly the sportswear industry. The most famous group is certainly the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). It was started in the Netherlands in 1990 by several Dutch non government organisations following a protest in 1989 against the poor working conditions of C&A's Asian subcontractors. From 1995, this initiative spread all over Europe. The aim of the CCC is to create codes of practices and to implement virulent campaigns to publicise the unsound practices of famous brands. [...]

[...] Regulations could just go in the same way and respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At least seven articles of the declaration are infringed. For example, articles 23 and 24 concerning labour rights are totally violated in countries sheltering sportswear production: ?Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.? Article 23 paragraph 4 is a convincing illustration of those infringements. Whether articles and 24 concern Human Rights in general or Labour Rights in particular are not respected within the supply chain in the sportswear industry. [...]

[...] They tend to seek out the lowest wage-costs. The labour costs are certainly the most important factor in the decision to relocate and outsource. In fact production costs depend to a large part on the wage bill and the reduction of wages inevitably triggers a reduction in production costs. Companies resorting to these methods of production can be more competitive and can either reduce their prices, or use the profits on advertising, research, promotion and marketing, which are essential in order to create a strong brand name in the sportswear industry and to distinguish oneself in a sector where the competition is stiff. [...]

[...] Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. [...]