No More Toying with Workers’ Rights
It has been three years since the Kader factory fire - one of the world's worst industrial accidents - brought attention to the harsh and unsafe conditions of factories throughout Asia. Since we first reported on the fire in Asian Labour Update (Issue 12, July 1993) labour activists, trade unionists and workers’ support groups have struggled to prevent these man-made accidents from happening again by demanding improvements in working conditions and the protection of workers’ rights.
Three years later, this issue focuses on the toy industry workers in Asia, highlighting the unsafe conditions that still exist and reflecting on the progress that has been made to improve these conditions and restore workers’ rights and dignity.
So far, governments are slow to respond to the demands of workers and labour organisations to improve working conditions and protect workers’ rights in industries like the toy industry. As part of their policy of opening their economies to the global market, many governments in industrialising countries have instead promised more incentives and even less regulation of foreign investors and multinational corporations. Along with tax holidays, ‘cheap’ labour, and restrictions on workers’ rights to organise, many governments turn a blind eye to dangerous working conditions. This has led to a sharp rise in the number of industrial accidents and deaths throughout Asia, and worsening working conditions in many factories.
However, the accident victims and the labour movement have made important gains in bringing the safety of toy factory workers onto the agenda of toy associations and companies around the world and making them acknowledge their responsibility. Several of these companies have recently adopted codes of conduct. Though these codes of conduct recognise that the harsh and unsafe working conditions will not be tolerated, they still do not include the right of free association for workers or independent monitoring of the toy factories.
The efforts in forcing the toy industry to address these concerns should also be applied to other industries. The shoe, garment, and electronic industries share many problems in practices and working conditions with the toy industry. Just last month, an international NGO announced the beginning of a campaign urging clothing retailers to adopt a code of conduct guaranteeing the safety and working conditions of the workers who make their clothes.
It is still too early to tell whether these codes of conduct and the promise of improvements by toy companies will resolve the serious problems faced by toy workers. What is certain is that the cross-border solidarity among toy workers and the growing public awareness that the international campaign has produced since 1993 will continue, and rather than giving in to the power of the global toy manufacturers, the Coalition for the Safe Production of Toys will become even stronger.
Contents
Feature: Toys
Regional Roundup 42
Resources Update 44
Index i-iv