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Codes of Conduct
Each of the transnational footwear manufacturers
subcontracting production in Thailand has a code of conduct, a
set of labor standards to which producers are expected to adhere.
These corporations have persuaded some labor activists in non-governmental
organizations that codes of conduct have been effectively implemented
and have greatly improved labor conditions. More than any other
major sporting goods manufacturer, Reebok prides itself on its
human rights advocacy. Reebok has underwritten Amnesty International's
Human Rights Now! campaign and is a founding member of Business
for Social Responsibility and the Partnership for Responsible
Global Sourcing of the Council of Economic Priorities. In 1992,
Reebok devised and began to implement a code of conduct.
Similarly, Nike prides itself on being a founding
member of the Global Alliance for Workers and Communities and
of US President Clinton's Apparel Industry Partnership Initiative.
Further, Nike advertises that the monitoring of its code of conduct
is independent. As the excerpt from the Nike attempt below demonstrates,
such codes covers a range of categories. (See Appendix
1 for the full Nike code of conduct and Appendix
2 for Reebok's).
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Nike
Labor Practices ("SHAPE")
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| Safety: |
The worker has a workplace where safety is
paramount - in equipment, training, management and work practices. |
| Health: |
The worker has access to proper food and water,
to a work environment that is healthy, and to proper medical
care. |
| Attitude: |
The worker is managed in a manner that is
characterized by dignity and respect for the individual, and
appreciation of the culture. |
| People: |
Management treats the worker like a valued
asset: with vocational and personal training, recreation programs
and on-site services. |
| Environment: |
The factory seeks to minimize environmental
impact, and emphasize environmental safety. |
Many labor activists have little confidence in
these codes of conduct, largely because enforcement is voluntary
and generally internally monitored. Information on cases of violations
is kept within the company. According to Bandit Thanachaisetthavut,
Director of the Arom Pongpangan Foundation,
only if international standards guarantee the
bargaining power of workers will there be serious support
for workers' rights by the government. [Otherwise] codes of
conduct can be violated and misused by the employer. [1]
According to Lae Dilokwidhayarat, Director of the
Center for Labor Development and Management and Associate Professor
of Economics at Chulalongkorn University,
codes of conduct are [based on] double standards:
the western standard of production and the local sub-standard
labor conditions. To solve the problem, it is necessary to
build a structure that allows government authorities to react
fairly to both the management and the workers. … At present,
this structure favors management. [2]
Jaded Chaowilai, a labor activist who coordinates
the labor section of the Friends of Women Foundation, reports
that
Reebok invited many labor-related NGOs [non-governmental
organizations] in Thailand for discussion and is offering
financial support to these groups. We have talked with Reebok
twice, but we are still not sure what Reebok hopes to achieve
by funding NGOs. … Reebok spoke about its code of conduct
and how it is being implemented and the way in which NGOs
could help. But the reality is that the Reebok's code of conduct
is not truly effective. There are still many problems in its
system, especially with regard to the use of subcontractors.
[3]
According to a union member from the Lian Thai
factory, "the Nike [pocket size laminated card] looks beautiful
and has good words printed on it, but it is not very specific."
[4] Many workers feel that the codes are useless,
and the translation below suggests why.
The
Nike SHAPE Laminated Card
(Translated from the Thai
version)
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Nike and your employer
agree to work together to follow Nike's SHAPE regulations
that are posted in the factory and which guarantee that
you will receive fair treatment. The details are
- factories are to implement programs that
benefit worker's health and safety;
- workers are to be paid a fair wage and
provided with good benefits;
- workers' right to freedom of association
must be recognized and respected;
- pay and promotion will be based solely
on a person's ability; and
- regulations concerning working days and
hours are to be followed.
Please contact the manager or staff representative
for more information.
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In order to understand why corporate codes of conduct
enjoy such little credibility among labor scholars and workers,
it is necessary to examine labor processes in the industry and
the relationship between the transnational corporations and their
subcontracted producers.
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Footnotes:
- interview, 10 December 1998.
- interview, 26 August 1998.
- Jaded Chaowilai, interview, 17 November 1998.
- Lian Thai is an old apparel factory, established
in 1972 and located in the suburb of Bangkok. It is owned by
a Hong Kong businesswoman. The union was formed in 1983. The
minimum wage is 162 baht in this area.
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