[Equal] ein Kieselstein ...

[Sandra Da Rin]

Weil ich mir - nicht nur, aber auch aus Gleichstellungsperspektive -
immer mehr Gedanken darueber mache, wer (vor allem Frauen und Kinder)
unter welchen Bedingungen die Kleider und Schuhe herstellt, die wir
tagtaeglich tragen:

Meine Frage an die Clean Clothes Campaign:

Guten Tag
Koennen Sie mir einen Turnschuh-Hersteller empfehlen, wenn ich mir in
naechster Zeit mit gutem Gewissen ein Paar Turnschuhe kaufen will?
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
Sandra Da Rin


Die Antwort:

Liebe Sandra Da Rin
Besten Dank fuer Ihre Anfrage. Leider koennen wir aber keine
Empfehlungen zu Kleidern abgeben. Dies aus dem einfachen
Grund, dass es DIE sozial produzierten Kleider auf dem Markt nicht gibt.
Wir empfehlen daher den Konsumierenden, das
Verkaufspersonal anzusprechen und auf dieses Problem hinzuweisen.
Ausserdem ist es sinnvoll, wenn Sie den Firmen (z.B.
nach dem Kauf von Kleidern oder Schuhen) einen eigenen Brief zu
schreiben. Ueber unsere Homepage können Sie auch direkt per E-Mail an
die Markenfirmen, Modehäuser und Grossverteiler gelangen (vgl.
"Postkartenaktion") .

Insgesamt muessen wir aber leidlich eingestehen, dass die Situation fuer
uns als Konsumentinnen und Konsumenten
unbefriedigend ist. Bei Sportschuhen ist die Situation sogar noch etwas
schlechter als bei uebrigen Kleidern, da es keine
Oekoprodukte gibt. Die grossen Markenfirmen unternehmen gewisse
Anstrengungen und kommunizieren unterschiedlich
darueber. Daher haben diese einen unterschiedlich guten Ruf. Ob dieser
jedoch den Zustarnden bei den Produzenten
entspricht bezweifle ich. Ausserdem wird in grossen Fabriken jeweils
fuer viele Marken gleichzeitig produziert (vgl. dazu die
Information ueber einen aktuellen Fall bei Nike + Reebok in Indonesien).

Mit herzlichen Gruessen
Stefan Indermuehle

PS: Hier meine generelle Antwort zur Situation:
Obwohl seit Jahren verlangt, wird vom Markt das Angebot nach gerecht
produzierten Kleidern noch kaum erbracht. In vielen
Kleiderfabriken herrschen unmenschliche Arbeitsbedingungen und die Leute
arbeiten fast bis zum Umfallen. (...)
Im Gegensatz zur Zertifizierung von Umweltlabeln gibt es weltweit noch
keine Institutionen, welche eine wirksame
Ueberwachung der sozialen Arbeitsbedingungen garantieren. Auch in vielen
anderen Branchen (Elektronik, Spielwaren,
Landwirtschaftsprodukte, etc.) stellt das ein grosses Problem dar. Daher
arbeitet die Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) in der
Schweiz und in anderen europäischen Laendern intensiv daran, auch im
sozialen Bereich eine Institutionalisierung voran zu
treiben (Informationen in Englisch hierzu:
http://www.somo.nl/monitoring)

(...) Fuer weitere Informationen moechte ich Sie auf folgende Seiten zur
Kampagne für gerechtproduzierte Kleider aufmerksam machen:
http://www.cleanclothes.ch
http://www.saubere-kleidung.de
http://www.oneworld.at/cck/start.asp
http://www.cleanclothes.org (= ebenfalls Englisch)

(...) Eine wichtige Informationsquelle zu oekologischen
Baumwollprodukten wird vom Pestizid Action-Netzwerk (PAN Germany,
http://www.pan-germany.org) aufgebaut:
http://www.organiccottondirectory.net.

Zusammen mit dem WWF hat die EvB im 2001 eine Marktuebersicht und
Kundeninformationen zusammengestellt und in dem
Arbeitsbuch "Mode, Marken, Maerkte" (HEP-Verlag 2002, 167 Seiten, fuer
Fr. 24.- plus Porto zu beziehen bei der Erklaerung von
Bern) veroeffentlicht. Dort finden Sie Angaben zu umweltfreundlich /
oekologisch produzierten Textilien in der Schweiz. Es
werden unter anderem folgende Firmen undOekolabel vorgestellt:
- Versandhaeuser: Helvetas, hess natura, Koeppel, Panda
- Markenartikel: Coop Naturaline, Karen Green, Natura by Sidema,
Patagonia, Rakattl AG, Tebaron

Coop NaturaLine
Sie interessieren sich speziell auch fuer die Kleider der Coop
NaturaLine. Diese Kleider stammen meist aus den sehr
erfolgreichen und beeindruckenden Bio-Pionierbetrieben im indischen
Maikaal. Die Verantwortlichen dieser Firmen, welche
von Schweizer Hilfswerken und dem WWF unterstuetzt wurden, erheben zwar
hohe soziale Ansprueche, lassen diese jedoch
nicht im Sinne der Clean Clothes Campaign ueberpruefen.
(...)
Regelmaessig wird die Uebersicht zum sozialen Verhalten von 16 Firmen
auf unserer Homepage (http://www.cleanclothes.ch)
aktualisiert und als CCC-Newsletter veroeffentlicht. Anhand dieser
Uebersicht koennen Sie betraechtliche Unterschiede zwischen
den einzelnen Firmen feststellen.

CCC-Pilotprojekt
Dank der Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) hat nun ein Umdenken begonnen: Die
Firmen Mabrouc SA (Switcher), Migros
Genossenschaftsbund und Veillon SA haben saemtliche Forderungen des
Clean Clothes-Kodex zu ihren Geschaeftsprinzipien
erklaert. In der Frage der unabhaengigen Ueberpruefung suchen die drei
Firmen zusammen mit der CCC nach Loesungswegen. In
einem Pilotprojekt, das noch bis Ende 2002 dauert, werden Erfahrungen
bei der Umsetzung des Kodex in Indien und China
gesammelt.

(...) Manchmal bringt ein Gespraech im Bekanntenkreis einen Stein ins
Rollen. Erst ein Kiesel vielleicht. Doch wenn das Anliegen an immer neue
Leute weiter erzaehlt wird, steigt die Chance, dass unsere Hoffnungen
erfuellt werden.

Stefan Indermuehle


********** Aktueller Fall aus Nike + Reebok Fabrik in Indonesien
**********

Dear Friends,
Please read and take immediate action in relation to the case of two
labor rights activists who were shot during a
demonstration against proposed legislation that would roll back workers
rights in Indonesia. A sample letter is included
please take the time to send a letter today to protest the use of
violence against people exercising their right to free speech.
The Garteks union will hold another big demonstration at the West Java
Parliament on Thursday, August 29 to demand the
release of the activists still being detained by police and to demand a
halt to the processing of the two draft laws that were the
focus of the earlier rally. They are requesting solidarity actions at
Indonesian Embassies around the world. Why not fax or
hand deliver copies of your protest letters to the Indonesian Embassy in
your country?

For more information on this case, please contact Garteks at
garteks at hotmail.com

This message ends with two articles about the recent demonstrations that
have been held in Indonesia to protest Nike and
Reebok’s plans to cut orders to their Indonesian suppliers.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Labor Rights Activists Shot in Cimahi Bandung, Indonesia
source: Garteks-SBSI; Behindthelabel.org

On Monday, 19 August 2002 workers and others in Cimahi Bandung, the
capital of West Java, Indonesia held a huge
demonstration (15,000 garment workers are reported to have participated)
against drafts of two laws: a draft of a law on
industrial relations dispute settlement and the draft law on placement
and protection of employment. Participants included the
local Garteks union, university students, NGO representatives, and
others. Two trade unionists were shot by police during this
demonstration. Garteks is requesting that letters be sent to the
president of Indonesia protesting this incident.

Information on the incident

There were about 8000 people moving from the PT. GISTEX Nanjung Cimahi
area to the West Java Parliament building at
about 8 a.m. on the morning of August 19th. They were stopped by the
police from Cibabat Area at approximately 12 o’clock,
on Pasteur Street. While field negotiations were taking place,
unexpectedly onlookers threw stones at the demonstrators. It
remains unclear who these people were. This stone throwing created
chaos.

Suparjo (chairman of GARTEKS at PT Indo Putra Cimahi) tried to calm down
the demonstrators by waving his hands. Iptu
Gultom (a police officer) grabbed his hands. Suparjo tried to release
his arms, causing the police officer to drop his gun from
his hand. Suparjo tried to help the police pick up his gun, intending to
give it back to the police officer. But the police officer
was knocked down by the crowd. Next, the police officer retrieved his
gun and shot Suparjo in his left calf. Suparjo was
brought to the police station at 9 p.m after he was discharged from
M.Toha Cimahi Hospital in West Java.

At 7 a.m. that same morning another group of 5000 demonstrators moved
from Cibaligo to the West Java Parliament with the
same demands against the drafts of the two laws. They were stopped by
the West Bandung Police as they arrived at
Padjajaran. Field negotiations took place and the group was allowed to
continue their procession. But at that time Tatang
(leader of GARTEKS local union in Cimahi West Java) was taken to the
police station on Doctor Oten Street. The group of
demonstrators were stopped by the police again. The police tried to
scatter them. But some of the demonstators successfully
reached the parliament building.

Another rally coordinator, Syarif Hidayat, was allegedly shot in the
head. He was also taken to a hospital, treated and
released.

At this time approximately 31 people from various organizations are
still being detained at the Cimahi and Cibabat Police
stations. They report that while being interrogated interrogation they
were beaten by the police. Also they reported that their
hair was shaved off by the police. Tatang is still being interrogated in
relation to the incident.
This incident would not have happened if the police did not stopped the
demonstrators. Still a big question is why, when the
police stopped the demonstrators, unknown people began to throw rocks at
the demonstrators. It is also unclear why the
police stopped the demonstrators in the middle of their march and not at
the beginning.

The police have an obligation to protect the demonstrators, not repress
them, because Indonesian law guarantees freedom
of speech. Therefore Garteks is seeking support in protesting this
matter.

Background on the draft laws
Source: Behingthelabel.org

The protestors were representing a new coalition of trade unions that
are opposing the two draft laws, which are referred to
as KABB. The coalition includes Garteks, FNPBI (the national Front for
Indonesian Workers Struggle), Gaspermindo, TSK,
and others.

The coalition fears that the far-reaching nature of KABB, which promises
to overhaul existing labor laws in favor of expanding
international investment, will wipe away many of the hard-won labor
rights of Indonesians, such as the right to strike.

"Under the bill on the settlement of labor disputes (sic), the
government would allow striking workers to be tried by the courts,"
said Etty Rostiawaty, a rally coordinator and leader of FNPBI. "And
under the bill on labor development and protection (sic),
striking workers are subject to fines of Rp 400 million and four years
in prison."

KABB, which if adopted could go into effect as early as September, are a
result of pressure from international agencies,
specifically the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to restructure the
Indonesian economy. An IMF report released earlier this
year cautioned that, "a continuation of the recent upward trend in
minimum wages risks undermining Indonesia's
competitiveness," and urged the government to reconsider its minimum
wage policy.

Although Indonesia's economy has rebounded following the crisis of
1997-1998, the monthly minimum wage is currently only
about Rp 400,000 (about US$46). More than two-thirds of the population
still currently makes less than the international
poverty line, set at $2 a day. And the World Bank estimates that a
similarly large proportion of the people "suffer inadequate
access to basic social services and proper nutrition."

Yet many international corporations, like Nike and Reebok, have
reportedly used the raise in minimum wage as the rationale
for fleeing Indonesia in favor of even lower wages and relaxed labor
policies in China and other parts of southeast Asia.

Recent decisions by Nike and Reebok to move production out of Indonesia
have resulted in large rallies by workers to protect
their jobs.

On August 20, over 3,000 workers marched through Jakarta to protest the
withdrawal of orders by Nike from its PT Doson
factory. The move could leave approximately 7,000 workers jobless. On
July 29, over 1,000 workers took to the streets to
protest Reebok's decision to pull its orders from their plant, PT
Primarindo. Over 5,400 workers stand to lose their jobs
following the Reebok move.


===============================

Erklaerung von Bern - Berne Declaration
Stefan Indermuehle
Quellenstrasse 25, PF, 8031 Zuerich
Tel: ++41 1 277 70 10
Fax: ++41 1 277 70 01
e-mail: ccc at evb.ch
web: http://www.evb.ch
web: http://www.cleanclothes.ch