Labour conditions in Filipino textile industry worsens post-MFA, says ICFTU
05 Jul '05
3 min read
End of global textiles agreement has led to worsening labour conditions in the Philippines, according to the new ICFTU report submitted to the WTO.
Despite having ratified all eight core labour standards, labour violations in the Philippines continue unabated, the ICFTU report released today shows serious shortcomings in their application and enforcement, in particular in the clothing and textiles industries, where due to the end of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC, formerly called the MFA), the government has exempted the garment sector from the country's minimum wage legislation to compete in international markets.
"What we have here is yet another example of a race to the bottom – a country lowering its labour standards in order to deal with the impact of the disorderly end of the ATC. Put simply, countries are being forced to compete by exploiting workers," ICFTU General-Secretary Guy Ryder said today.
The report notes that in the Special Economic Zones, where export production takes place, labour legislation is not enforced effectively by the Department of Labour and Employment. Union organising is very difficult and employers refuse to recognise or negotiate with trade unions.
The managers of the zones claim they have the right to carry out their own labour inspections. Wages are low, working hours long and production rates very high. There is particular pressure on working time in textiles and clothing firms where overtime is the norm rather than an exception.
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