Sunshine state gets serious on sweatshops

 

Fashion manufacturers, suppliers and retailers in Queensland will be subject to increasing scrutiny under a new government initiative designed to protect clothing outworkers from exploitation.

Due to take effect from January 1, 2011, the Mandatory Code of Practice for Outworkers in the Clothing Industry will operate in conjunction with existing awards.

The code will apply to any clothing businesses in Queensland not already compliant with the national voluntary code administered by Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA).

Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick said the regulation would assist in cracking down on employers that use complex sub-contracting arrangements to exploit staff.

“The new code will introduce a new transparency by imposing mandatory reporting obligations on all participants in the production chain,” Dick said.

“Everyone involved in producing clothing – including employers, suppliers, retailers and outworkers – will be formally identified. That will make it much easier to track down maverick employers who try to do the wrong thing and rip off their outworkers.”

Queensland joins mandatory regulations already in place in New South Wales and South Australia. National secretary of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, Michele O'Neil, welcomed the announcement.

“This is something that we've been lobbying and asking the Queensland government to do for a number of years,” O'Neil said.

She explained the mandatory code differs from requirements entailed in the national TCF award by stretching beyond manufacturers all the way down to retailers.

“What that does is give the opportunity for either the retailer voluntarily being part of Ethical Clothing Australia, or meeting what are the mandatory requirements.”

O'Neil reported positive feedback from both businesses and union members. “In fact, there's been a number of employers who have also spoken to us about welcoming this because they're seeing their own businesses put in jeopardy by people who are not meeting minimum standards.”

ECA national coordinator Emer Diviney confirmed the regulation may soon spread beyond Queensland. “There is definitely a growing trend both internationally and in Australia in which governments are either legislating or developing policies and procedures relating to responsible business practice,” Diviney said.

Businesses can source copies of the code via the Office of Fair and Safe Work Queensland.

Erin O'Loughlin