Einde inhoudsopgave
Corporate Social Responsibility (IVOR nr. 77) 2010/10.4.1
10.4.1 G-Star
Mr. T.E. Lambooy, datum 17-11-2010
- Datum
17-11-2010
- Auteur
Mr. T.E. Lambooy
- JCDI
JCDI:ADS371866:1
- Vakgebied(en)
Ondernemingsrecht (V)
Voetnoten
Voetnoten
See www.g-star.com, visited on 5 December 2008.
Information from G-Star Communications, Amsterdam, 23 March 2009. The international appeal of the brand continues to increase: by July 2010, G-Star had established itself in 18 countries, and occupied 32 offices around the globe with over 5300 points of sale in 60 countries (see www.g-star.com, visited on 27 July 2010).
G. Moes, 'De Indiase textiel heeft ze graag onderdanig' (The Indian textile industry prefers to keep them humble), Dutch newspaper Trouw, 6 November 2005.
Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) is a European business initiative for the improvement of working conditions in all (labour extensive) industries such as textiles, electronics and toys. See: www.bsci-eu.com, accessed on 3 May 2009.
Emails sent on 31 January and 14 March 2006, and letters sent on 31 March and 4 May 2006, made available by G-Star.
G-Star was established in 1989 and has grown significantly since 1996 after the introduction of its specific concept and style referred to as ' raw denim'.1 By March 2009, the brand has sales operations in more than 17 countries and has over 5,400 sales outlets.2
In October 2005, CCC/ICN contacted G-Star in order to discuss their international supply-chain management. G-Star and CCC/ICN agreed to hold a meeting in December 2005. Shortly after this initial contact, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an article on the maltreatment of labourers in the Indian textile industry.3 Several apparel brands were mentioned, including G-Star. In preparation for the December meeting, the parties agreed on an agenda, containing not only labour conditions in general, but also the article in Trouw and the institutionalised verification of good labour conditions through certification by the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF).
Box 10.3 Fair Wear Foundation
Fair Wear Foundation is a MSI founded by several stakeholders in the Dutch fashion industry, that supports and promotes good labour conditions in the garment industry. Among the initiators are trade unions, sector organisations and also NGOs. CCC is one of the founding members of FWF. ICN, being a member organisation within CCC, can be considered an indirect member of FWF. Apparel brands and producers can become a member of FWF, obliging them to sign the Code of Labour Practices, inform supplier companies and manufacturers of the membership, and pay an annual contribution. FWF is different from other labour conditions certification initiatives by involving local stakeholders in its company audits, rather than in-company audits executed by independent third parties. For more information, please visit www.fairwear.org .
Unfortunately, there are no agreed upon minutes of the December meeting, but in the correspondence following the meeting G-Star acknowledged considering membership of FWF. G-Star then scheduled a meeting with FWF for January 2006. The day before this meeting, CCC stressed in an email the need for action against FFI/JKPL and it attached a list of violations. G-Star stated that it would raise the issue with the FFI/JKPL board and it later confirmed that it had done so. Between January and June 2006, CCC wrote several letters and emails to G-Star in which it urged G-Star and its supplier to engage in dialogue with the Indian Organisations. Furthermore, CCC stressed that only the FWF approach is a sufficient guarantee for the structural improvement of labour conditions, contrary to other social compliance initiatives such as BSCI4 or SA 8000.5