HRW exposes weaknesses in RMG social audits

The social audits and certifications that brands and retailers use are 'totally' inadequate to monitor and respond to threats to workers trying to organise independent unions in Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleged.
Most audit reports either barely addressed the issue of freedom of association, or in some cases, recycled stock language as part of auditor findings on freedom of association from other factories' audit reports, the international rights group headquartered in New York said on Thursday in an analysis on standard social audit reports of garment factories in Bangladesh.
Citing its previous research, the HRW said standard social audits present greater risks for labour abuses being under-detected or undetected, especially for issues like discrimination and harassment, forced labour, child labour, and freedom of association.
The seriousness of these shortcomings assumes more importance in the aftermath of the June 2023 killing of Shahidul Islam, an independent labour union leader, in Bangladesh, it said in a statement.
Mr Islam was allegedly killed as he was leaving a factory operated by Prince Jacquard Sweater Ltd after trying to mediate on behalf of garment workers over nonpayment of wages and Eid bonus, it said, adding the factory had undergone audits under two commonly used social audit systems-amfori and Sedex.
"Islam's killing is a chilling reminder of the dangers facing independent labor union leaders," the statement said quoting Aruna Kashyap, associate corporate accountability director at HRW.
"Brands and suppliers should not rely on social audits and certifications as they are woefully inadequate, particularly in preventing violence and harassment of workers seeking to form or join independent labor unions," she noted.
Bangladesh authorities should ensure that an independent and thorough investigation is conducted to hold accountable all those involved in directing, planning, and executing the attack.
The HRW released an analysis of 40 social audit reports of garment factories in Bangladesh provided by a European clothing brand in 2018.
Brands and retailers globally should revamp how they monitor workers' rights to freedom of association in factories from which they source, added the statement.
"Yellow unions" are set up or controlled by employers and violate workers' right to freedom of association under international labour rights law, it alleged adding they have been used to thwart workers' efforts to organize independent unions, an increasing problem in Bangladesh.
The failure of the Bangladesh authorities and garment manufacturers to curb abuses in the rights of independent labour unions to operate, connected to the growth of "yellow unions," has contributed to the violence and harassment of independent labour unions and workers, it said.
Brands typically rely upon standard social audit or certification programmes. These are private inspections of work sites usually conducted by audit firms to assess compliance with their codes of conduct, including labour standards.
"Such inspections are conducted over a few days and typically paid for by brands or suppliers, with workers interviewed inside factory premises, which is not a safe space for workers to speak candidly about their working conditions. These audit reports are not published," it added.
Citing Prince Jacquard Sweater factory's audit reports, it said that the audits had detected some wage-related problems.
Sedex and amfori should publish the social audit reports of Prince Jacquard Sweater Ltd. and commit to revising their policies to publish all social audit reports in a searchable database, HRW said.

munni_fe@yahoo.com