Lobby & Advocacy

Using our extensive knowledge, practical experience and broad network, we aim to contribute to the development of an international policy and legal environment that promotes responsible business practices and freedom of association for garment workers in their respective countries. We envision a smart mix/ regulatory framework that enables workers’ rights and aligns with UNGPs and OECD guidelines.  

Fair Wear’s approach to policy engagement 

Being a multi-stakeholder, we can involve the perspectives of both production and market countries in discussions around proposed policies on varying governance levels. This includes those of policy- and decision-makers at state level in both production and market countries, and on a supranational level mainly at the EU.  

In production countries 

Restricted freedom of association and limited rights to collective bargaining mean that workers’ voices remain too often unheard.  

Our teams in production countries worth together with local stakeholders to advocate for legal frameworks that encourage workers to organise and assert their rights. Among the stakeholders that we work with are business associations and chambers of commerce,  to ensure that human rights remain central to their guidelines and policies. 

For example, in April 2022, Indonesia passed the Sexual Harassment Act after consultations took place between the gender network platform and relevant ministries and business associations.    

In market countries 

Our efforts in market countries is primarily to push for impactful and workable human rights due diligence legislation and to influence existing policy  developments at the EU level. 

Our member brands are crucial actors in this context. They prove that responsible business conduct can be economically viable even for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This counteracts the widespread misconception that only large enterprises can afford to carry out human rights due diligence due to high financial and administrative burdens. With 95% of the garment industry comprising SMEs, their consideration in policy and legal work is crucial for creating meaningful impact for workers and shaping a level-playing field for the business leaders within this space.  

To push for a more equitable, long-term partnerships between buyers and their suppliers and between suppliers and workers, we involve business associations and trade unions in our advocacy efforts. 

Here are some of our positions, statements, letters, and reactions to diverse policy proposals:  

Overarching:

Position on the smart mix

EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive:

STITCH reaction to the proposal for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) May 2022 

Joint call upon the European Parliament to develop effective mHRDD

Position within STITCH Partnership

Joint position with ETI

EU Textile Strategy:

Joint position with Fair Trade International, ETI, and Solidaridad

German Supply Chain Act/ Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz: 

Joint statement with Solidaridad and ETI (in German)

Competition Law: 

Joint position with AIM and Fair Trade Advocacy Office