The Hindu Business Line : Global textile union, Gap Inc form joint initiative

The global union for textiles, International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF), has embarked on a joint programme with Gap Inc, one of the world's largest specialty garment retailers, to promote a mature system of industrial relations through corporate social responsibility (CSR) route for the Gap Inc supply chain.

The joint programme to operate at global, sub-regional and national levels is aimed at creating understanding on the right of workers to form unions and to bargain with their employers as part of social dialogue, the basis for sound industrial relations.

According to a communication, the federation has recently engaged its staff in detailed briefings for the entire Gap Inc social compliance team of 100 persons on these two aspects in line with the respective national law and international practice. As part of the tier-two joint action programme, the federation along with its national affiliates have met with Gap Inc's social compliance staff in two sub-regions - South Asia and South East Asia - with a view to examining some of the key compliance issues and to improve industrial relations in the company's supply chain.

At the Delhi meet (for South Asia), the Gap Inc personnel, ITGLWF/trade unions from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India held a review of the Gap's CSR operations in the region. Similar exercise was undertaken in Jakarta (Indonesia) for Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The issues covered in these joint meetings centred on identifying how freedom of association/ collective bargaining is respected, on how to deal with a situation where there were not unions at present and how to overcome the employer resistance to deal with unions including ways to develop in-plant capacity for building industrial relations.

The communication maintained that the next stage of the joint work would involve developing a national dialogue in different countries with Gap Inc suppliers and involving Gap Inc buyers/compliance staff, manufacturers supplying Gap Inc and trade unions to resolve the industrial relations issues in the Gap Inc supply chain.

Mr Neil Kearney, ITGLWF General-Secretary, in the federation communication, has pointed out that moving beyond auditors, consultants and host of other CSR fads is essential for long-term sustainability in good labour practices in the global supply chain. "It is increasingly recognised that no matter how well-intentioned the CSR approach of brands and retailers, the impact is limited and unsustainable in the long term without social dialogue," Mr Kearney added.

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