ITGLWF calls China’s code of conduct ‘unacceptable’
The general secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF), Neil Kearney, has attacked the code of conduct recently created and implemented by the China National Textile and Apparel Council, claiming that it lacks credibility.
Addressing Chinese government leaders and industrialists during the Shenzhen forum on ‘Building a Harmonious Society’ in November, he said that much energy had gone into crafting the new code, CSC9000T, modelled on SA 8000. He added that, in its present form, however, without requiring the payment of a living wage and without allowing workers to become a member of a trade union of their own choosing, CSC9000T is not credible and will not satisfy consumers.
Mr Kearney said that consumers are now demanding that brands and retailers clean up their supply chain, and warned that codes such as the CSC9000T would not satisfy consumer pressure for acceptable production conditions— which is now one of the key elements of global competitiveness.
