By top-down, I meant that the power was still in the hands of the West rather than in the hands of the actual suppliers of labour. Fair trade is certainly not my favourite campaign, and is still based on the need for consumers to decide, but at least the power is held in the hands of those whose labour creates production, rather than those who allow for that labour to exist (the corporation in itself).

As I said, I do like the WRC as I feel that its grassroots campaigning method is very appealing and interesting. I wish it could be more representative than apparel though, and could also cover dictatorships like China where workers deal with horrendous chemicals in the name of ‘efficiency’.

Looking at its Board of directors, I’d it arguably just as hierarchical, as is…the Fairtrade Foundation, although probably less so thanks USAS providing a very tangible link to US labour activists. However, there is still no true voice for workers in the global south, within the WRC governance… like would you find in (as Nishma pointed out from socialist/anarchist perspectives) workers internationals or solidarity federations.

However, the Workers Rights Consortium, unlike the other models, has a grassroots angle. It is empowering workers/liberation movements all over the world; its independent funding structure helps here. Just see what it did for these five women in Bangladesh who formed “the first non-politically-aligned, women-led, trade union to be established in Bangladesh’s apparel sector”: http://www.workersrights.org/freports/Sunman.asp. Its teaming up consumers/students with workers and could potentially help break down some of the artificial barriers which separate them…yeah it is capitalist but it’s getting capitalism to lay the foundation for the big workers international

Thanks again for a great article and your amazing work on this campaign. I have to disagree big style that the WRC is ‘top down’. In what way? It’s been set up by a radical student organisation called United Students Against Sweatshops.

Universities affiliate only when students engage in enough direct action and campaigning to persuade them that they must protect workers rights in their supply chains. If we get enough groundswell of student activism, we can get 100 universities to join. Then university spending of student fees on clothing will have to respect worker’s rights.

The WRC supports workers and unions in the Global South to monitor their own conditions, and blow the whistle when unions are busted, and women workers are forced into abortions, and abused by managers. It enables students to take action in support of these struggles for better conditions. In other words it’s a radical and participatory model that responds to what workers and students want. It’s the most bottom up model altogether!

What do others think?

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