Post on 05-Mar-2018
CIRIForumon
Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalizedEconomy–
LearningfromEncounters
–Forumreport–
KarinAstridSiegmann&GiulioIocco1
(9January2017)
1KarinAstridSiegmannandGiulioIoccoorganisedtheForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalizedEconomy–LearningfromEncounters”,jointlywithShikhaSethia.
2
Tableofcontents
Abbreviations......................................................................................................................................... 3Summary................................................................................................................................................ 4
Forumquestions ................................................................................................................................ 4Whatisworker-driveninnovation?.................................................................................................... 4Lessonsinorganising ......................................................................................................................... 5Howdoesworker-driveninnovationcomeabout? ............................................................................ 5Coalitionsascatalystsofworker-driveninnovation .......................................................................... 6Howtoguaranteeeffectivenessofworker-driveninnovation? ......................................................... 6Scalingupworker-driveninnovation ................................................................................................. 7Amorecentralvoiceforworkersintradeunionsandresearch......................................................... 7
1.Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 8Towardsdecentworkwithworkersinthedriver’sseat..................................................................... 8Whyisworker-driveninnovationnecessary?..................................................................................... 8TheForumasanopenspaceforencounterandlearning................................................................ 10Encouragingexamplesofworker-driveninnovation ....................................................................... 10Participatorymethodsledtoactiveengagementandmutualinspiration ...................................... 12
2.Givingmeaningtoworker-driveninnovation .................................................................................. 14Reclaiming‘innovation’forcivicmovements................................................................................... 14Workersdrivingprogressivechange................................................................................................ 15Innovationbuildsonworkers’first-handknowledgeofworkingconditions ................................... 15‘Worker-driven’isnotnecessarilyunion-driven............................................................................... 16Worker-driveninnovationas‘positiveclasscompromise’ ............................................................... 16Worker-driveninnovationasalternativeformofproduction .......................................................... 17Innovationtakesplacefromlocaltogloballevel............................................................................. 17
3.Thehowofworker-driveninnovation ............................................................................................. 18Whatenablesorganizingforworker-driveninnovation? ................................................................ 18Whichfactorspromoteworker-driveninnovation? ......................................................................... 21Howcanworker-driveninnovationbemadeeffectiveinthelong-term?........................................ 27Howcanworker-driveninnovationbebroughttoscale? ................................................................ 30
4.Towardsworker-driventradeunions .............................................................................................. 325.Researchthatworksforworkers ..................................................................................................... 34
Academicsasalliesinworker-driveninnovation ............................................................................. 34Doingresearchwithratherthanaboutworkers.............................................................................. 35
6.Learningaboutworker-driveninnovation ....................................................................................... 36References ........................................................................................................................................... 37Annexure ............................................................................................................................................. 42
Annex1:Listofexternalinvitees,speakersandorganisers ............................................................. 42Annex2:Forumprogramme ............................................................................................................ 44
3
Abbreviations
AFW AsiaFloorWage
CBA collectivebargainingagreement
CGT CentralGeneraldeTrabajadores(GeneralWorkers’Centre)
CIRI CivicInnovationResearchInitiative
CIW CoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers
CSR CorporateSocialResponsibility
EPZ ExportProcessingZone
FFP FairFoodProgram
FFSC FairFoodStandardsCouncil
FNV FederatieNederlandseVakbeweging(TheNetherlandsTradeUnionConfederation)
FoA freedomofassociation
GSP GeneralSystemofPreferences
GVC GlobalValueChain
ICRSE InternationalCommitteeontheRightsofSexWorkersinEurope
IDWF InternationalDomesticWorkersFederation
ILO InternationalLabourOrganisation
ISS InternationalInstituteofSocialStudies,ErasmusUniversityofRotterdam
MoU MemorandumofUnderstanding
PILER PakistanInstituteofLabourEducationandResearch
TNC TransnationalCorporation
USAS UnitedStudentsAgainstSweatshops
WRC WorkerRightsConsortium
WSR Worker-drivenSocialResponsibility
4
Summary
Inthecontextofneo-liberalgovernanceofmarketsthathasoftentakenplaceatworkers’expense,
inmanycasesworkershaveneverthelessstruggledsuccessfullyto(re-)establishtheirrightsand
improvetheirworkingconditions.TheForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalized
Economy–LearningfromEncounters”thattookplaceattheInternationalInstituteofSocialStudies
atErasmusUniversityRotterdam(ISS)from13-15June2016offeredanopenspacetoshare,discuss
andlearnfromadiverseandexcitingrangeofsuchinitiatives.FundingfromtheMondiaalFNV,part
oftheDutchtradeunionconfederationFNV,aswellasfromtheISSCivicInnovationResearch
Initiative(CIRI)madetheForumpossible.
Forumquestions
Weinvitedtheparticipatingpractitionersandscholarsofworker-driveninnovationtoengagewith
thefollowingkeyquestions:
1. Whatparticularconditionsmakeorganizing/strategizingmorefavourable?
2. Whichfactorspromoteworker-driveninnovation?
3. Howcanworker-driveninnovationbemadeeffectiveinthelong-term?
4. Howcanupscalingofworker-driveninnovationbeachievedintheglobalisedeconomy?
Whatisworker-driveninnovation?
TheForumbroadlycharacterizedworker-driveninnovationasinitiativesthroughwhichworkers,
labourorganizationsandtheirallieshavesuccessfullychallengedtheeconomic,politicalandsocial
structuresthatmarginalizethem.Suchinitiativesbuildonworkers'knowledgeoftheirworking
conditionsaswellasontheirunderstandingofthemechanismsthatexploitorempowerthem.
TheForumrepresentedagreatdiversityofformsofworker-driveninnovation,rangingfromcases
whereworkerorganizations’strugglesledtoanagreementwithcompaniesviathesuccessful
campaignfordomesticworkers’recognitionandrightsthatledtotheratificationofthe
internationalDomesticWorkersConventiontotheestablishmentofalternativeformsofproduction
basedonworkers’controlandself-management.
5
Lessonsinorganising
Organisingworkersisnecessaryforinnovativecollectivemovestowardsdecentwork.Forum
participantshighlightedtheroleofintangibleresources,suchaseffectivecommunicationwithand
confidence-buildingamongworkers.Asharedbackgroundfacilitateseffectivecommunicationwith
andawareness-raisingamongworkers.FairWorkthereforetriestoreachouttoasmanymigrant
workersintheNetherlandsaspossiblethroughso-called‘culturalmediators’.Thesemediatorsare
oftenmigrantsthemselves;someofthemareformerworkerswhohaveexperiencedsimilar
conditionsofsevereviolationsoftheirlabourrightsastheworkersthatFairWorktriestoreachout
to.TheprocessoftradeunionrenewalattheGermantradeunionIGMetallexemplifiedthat
tangibleresourcesintheformofavailablefundsareimportantfororganising,too.Ademocratic
politicalenvironmentaswellasafavourablelegalenvironmentcancatalyseworkers’organisation,
buttheyarenotsufficientforworkplacedemocratisation.
Howdoesworker-driveninnovationcomeabout?
Workersinnovateinstrategicresponsetothepoliticalandeconomicstructuresthatoppressthem.
TheAsiaFloorWage(AFW)AllianceintheAsiangarmentindustryexemplifiesthis.TheideaofAFW
Allianceemergedinresponsetothepowerofafewbrandsandretailersintheglobalgarment
industry.ThesebuyersholdoligopolisticpoweroversuppliersintheglobalSouth,enablingthemto
drivedownpricespaidtomanufacturerswhopasstheseontogarmentworkersintheformof
povertywages.TheAFWAlliancethereforedecidedtotargetbuyingcompanieswiththeirdemand
foraregionallivingwage.Moregenerally,inordertocounterlabourprecarityintheglobalized
economy,workersoftenneedto‘jumpscale’andtargetpowerfultransnationalbuyersratherthan
theirdirectemployers.
Thevisibilityofthesebrandsorthedirectemployersagainstwhichworkersstrugglecameoutasa
catalyticfactorforworkers’initiatives.Forinstance,themigrantfarmworkerorganisationCoalition
ofImmokaleeWorkers’(CIW’s)successesinempoweringandprotectingsomeofthemost
precariousworkersintheUSAhaveemergedinacontextinwhichtomatobuyerssuchas
McDonald’sandWalmartarehighlyvisibletoconsumers.Especiallyinsectorswithastrong
consumerorientation,brands’reputationisanimportantfactorfortheirabilitytocreateand
capturevalue.TNCssellinggoodsandserviceswithagreatervisibilitytoconsumersare,therefore,
morelikelytobeconcernedabouttheir‘reputationalcapital’.Asaresult,theyaremoreeagerto
negotiate.
6
Coalitionsascatalystsofworker-driveninnovation
Thepresenceofcoalitionswithothersocialactorsandmovementscameoutasakeyfactorin
worker-driveninnovationduringtheForum.ThesuccessoftheCGT’scampaignagainstunion
repressioningarmentcompanyFruitoftheLoom’sHonduransubsidiarywaspossibleonlybecause
oftheunion’sstrategicallianceswithpartnerssuchastheUnitedStudentsAgainstSweatshops
(USAS).USASmobilizedpublicopinionintheUSandusedtheirbulkpurchasingpoweras
institutionalgarmentsconsumersagainstunionrepressioninFruitoftheLoom’sfactoriesin
Honduras.Brookes(2013:192)callsthisworkers’‘coalitionalpower’asworkers’capacity‘[…]to
expandthescopeofconflictbyinvolvingother,nonlaboractorswillingandabletoinfluencean
employer’sbehavior’.
AllieshaveplayedadifferentroleintheItalianagriculturalcooperativeManieTerra.Cooperative
workersrelyonthesupportofprogressivefarmersandcriticalconsumers.Farmersexperiencingan
incomesqueezeasaresultoftheirmarginalroleinmainstreambuyer-drivenfoodchainssearchfor
analternativebysubcontractingthemanagementandcommercializationoftheirharvestand
productstothecooperative.Theroleofcriticalconsumersisequallycrucial:bypurchasingproducts
fromproducersata‘fairprice’,theyenableworkersandfarmerstoreceiveafairremuneration.
Howtoguaranteeeffectivenessofworker-driveninnovation?
Monitoringandenforcementmechanisms,flankedbythethreatwithmarketand/orstatesanctions,
havegreatimportanceforinitiatives’effectiveness.Intheabsenceofmonitoring,powerful
companiesareunlikelytocomplywithagreementstheyhavesignedtoreducepublicpressureon
theirreputation.Inordertobeeffective,enforcement,too,needstobedrivenbyworkers.The
effectivenessoftheCIW-designedFairFoodProgram(FFP)inUSagriculturereliesonthefactthat
theFFPplacesthejobofmonitoringlabourrightssquarelyinthehandsofthosewhoworkinthe
fields.Yet,workerscandrivetheenforcementofnewinitiativestoimprovetheirlabourconditions
onlyiftheyareawareoftheirrightsandentitlements.Therefore,laboureducationandthe
promotionofworkers’self-organisationarekeystepstowardslong-termeffectivenessofworker-
driveninnovation.
Someformofstatebackingofworker-driveninnovationscanenhancetheseinitiatives’
effectiveness.Brookes(2013:188)labelssuchstatebacking‘institutionalpower’.Shedefinesitas:
“[…]thecapacityofworkerstoinfluencethebehaviorofanemployerbyinvokingtheformalor
informalrulesthatstructuretheirrelationshipandinteractions”.Domesticworkers’lobbyingof
7
statesforratificationandimplementationoftherulesenshrinedintheinternationalDomesticWork
Conventionexemplifiessuchinstitutionalpower.
Scalingupworker-driveninnovation
TheencounterstheForumsuggestedtentativeanswerstothequestionofhowtobringworker-
driveninitiativestoscale.Ifsuchinitiativesarestrategicresponsestoaspecificeconomicand
politicalcontext,thenthisimpliesthattherearenoblueprintsforupscaling.SeveralForum
participantsproposedadaptedreplicationinsteadofinitiatives’economicgrowthinordertoensure
thatworker-driveninnovationsarenotplayingamerelysymbolicrole.TheCIW,forinstance,has
collaboratedwiththedairyworkerorganizationMigrantJusticeinVermontinanefforttoreplicate
theFFPwithintheirMilkwithDignityProgram.Physicalproximityisessentialforsuchnetworking
andmutualinspiration,andmeetingspacesliketheForumhaveanimportantroletoplay.
Amorecentralvoiceforworkersintradeunionsandresearch
Tradeunionshavehadakey,yet,ambiguousroleintheworker-driveninnovationsrepresented
duringtheForum.Severalinitiativesemergedfromlocalunions’struggles,suchastheCGT’sFruitof
theLoomcampaigninHondurasandtheFoAProtocolinIndonesia.TheAFWAlliance’scampaignfor
aregionalfloorwageisanexampleforhowtradeunions’regionalnetworkingenabledmovesfrom
competitiontocollaborationamongworkersindifferentcountries.Yet,tradeunions’limited
presenceinworkplacesandthefactthatcoverageofinitiativesissometimeslimitedtotheupper
tierofcomplexvaluechains,raisesthequestioninhowfarinnovationisunion-ratherthanworker-
driven?Especiallysex,migrantanddomesticworkers’voicesduringtheForumspokeofa
widespreadcrisisofrepresentationinthegloballabourmovement,whichhasbeenslowto
acknowledgethattheranksoftheworkingclassarefilledwithamorediversecrowdthan
permanent,male,industrialemployees.
Academicsandacademicinstitutions,too,playanambiguousroleinworker-driveninitiatives.On
theonehand,theyemergeaskeyalliesin‘pro-labourcivilsocietynetworks’(Chan2016).However,
thetypeofknowledgethatscholarscontributeandthewaytheygenerateitmattersfortheroleof
researchinworker-driveninnovation:Forumparticipantsinsistedonknowledgegenerationwith
workersratherthanaboutthem.
8
1.Introduction
Inthecontextofneo-liberalgovernanceofmarketsthathasoftentakenplaceatworkers’expense,
workershaveneverthelessstruggledsuccessfullyto(re-)establishtheirrightsandimprovetheir
workingconditions.TheForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalizedEconomy–Learning
fromEncounters”thattookplaceattheInternationalInstituteofSocialStudiesatErasmus
UniversityRotterdam(ISS)from13-15June2016offeredanopenspacetoshare,discussandlearn
fromadiverseandexcitingrangeofsuchinitiatives.
Towardsdecentworkwithworkersinthedriver’sseat
WhenwestartedorganisingtheForum,wehadinnovativemechanismsfortheregulationoflabour
relationsliketheFairFoodProgram(FFP)inmind.Thisprogrammefortheimprovementofworking
conditionsinFlorida’stomatofieldswasdesignedandisimplementedbymigrantfarmworkers
organisedintheCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers(CIW).TheCIWhascontractswithtomatobuyers
andagreementswithgrowers.TheyensurethatfailuretocomplywiththeFFPlabourstandardsisa
reasonforbuyerstostoppurchasingtomatoesfromagrower.TwodecadesaftertheCoalitionwas
formedandfiveyearsaftertheestablishmentoftheFFP,theirstrugglesagainstpovertywagesand
precariouslabourconditionshavebornefruit:significantimprovementsintheconditionsinFlorida
tomatofields,andnowalongtheentiresoutheastcoastoftheUS,arevisible.Amongothers,
workersreceivednearlyUS$20millioninwagepremiumssince2011,andnocasesofforcedlabour
andsexualassaultwerereportedonparticipatingfarms(FFSC2016:33).TheFFPhasbeenlabelled
asthebestworkplace-monitoringprogrammeintheUSAandwasawardedarangeofprestigious
nationalhumanrightsawards(Siegmannetal.2016:119).Themessagethatthisexampleof
‘worker-driveninnovation’conveyspowerfullyisthatworkers’enduringorganisedmobilisationsand
innovativecampaignsdoforceeventhemostpowerfulcorporationstoaddressworkers’demands.
Whyisworker-driveninnovationnecessary?
TheFFPisaresponsetotheincreasesinworkingpovertyandinsecurelabourrelationsthathave
accompaniedtheneo-liberalgovernanceofmarketssincethe1990s.Forinstance,povertywagesin
Florida’sagriculturehavebeentheresultoftheconcentrationatthetopoftheUS-Americanfood
industry,creatingtremendouspressureonsupplierprices.Thishastranslatedintodownward
9
pressureonwagesanddeteriorationofworkingconditionsinthetomatofields(AsbedandSellers
2013:43-44).
Neo-liberalismisanexpressionofasecularshifttowardstheeconomicandpoliticaldominanceof
corporations.ForumparticipantEvangelinaArguetasummarisedthisprocesssuccinctlywhenshe
statedthatthestateprovides“[…]operationalprivilegestolargecompanieswithoutconditionsor
guaranteesoflabororhumanrights”(Argueta2016).Itfetishisesthepowersofafreemarketto
regulatehumanbehaviour(Guthman2007:458).Thishastriggeredamovefromstatetomarket
regulation,associatedwiththesuccessiveliberalisationofmarketsandincreasedcompetition.
Furthermore,ithasledtothecommoditisationofessentialgoodsandservicesaswellastothe
weakeningofprotectivelabourregulation.
Asaresult,neo-liberalisationhasoftentakenplaceatworkers’expense.Marketliberalisationhas
catalysedtherestructuringoftheproductionofgoodsandservicesinglobalvaluechains(GVCs).
Here,labourprecarityistheflipsideofcapitalmobilityandcorporations’demandforflexiblelabour
relations.Export-processingzones(EPZs)fortransnationalcorporations(TNCs)wereestablishedin
Asia,LatinAmericaandAfricabasedontheargumentthatwiththeinfusionofcapital,productivity
wouldgrowandwageswoulddevelopintandemwiththisgrowth.Yet,incontrast,EPZsare
characterisedbyhighproductivity,butlowwagesthatfallshortofwhatworkersrequiretomeet
theirownandtheirfamilies’basicneeds(Bhattacharjee2016).Besides,theconcentrationofpower
inTNCshasresultedincasesofaggressiveandoftenviolentrepressionoftradeunionrights
(Argueta2016,Siegmannetal.2014b).Theriseofglobalisedproductionanddistributionhascaused
aregulatoryvacuumforlabourrights,whicharecommonlygovernedatthenationallevel.Not
surprisingly,thisvacuumhasnotbeeneffectivelyfilledbycompany-ledinitiatives.Mostly,such
corporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)hasonlybeeneffectivetoaddressthe“publicrelationscrisis
promptedbytherevelationofgrosshumanrightsviolationsinacompany’ssupplychain”(CIW
2014).
Parallelingthecapital-friendlyre-regulationofmarkets,stateregulationhasbecomemore
restrictiveinpolicyareasthatindirectlyaggravatelabourprecarity.Thisconcernsmigration
governance,inparticular.Discriminationagainstmigrantworkerswithlegalimmigrationstatusis
oftensanctionedbylaw.Increasinglyrestrictivemigrationregimesthatdonotofferlegal
immigrationstatusforlow-paidoccupations,suchasagricultural,domesticandsexwork,fashion
andentrenchtheseworkers’povertyandprecarity(Anderson2010).Forsexworkers,these
dynamicsarecompoundedbyanti-traffickingregulationusedtocurbsexworkaswellasbythe
widespreadcriminalisationofsexwork.
10
TheForumasanopenspaceforencounterandlearning
Whilelabourprecarityiswidespread,wearealsowitnessingencouragingexamples,liketheFFP,
whereworkersandlabourorganisations,jointlywithallies,havesuccessfullychallengedthe
economic,politicalandsocialstructuresthatmarginalizethem.Theirdiverseformsoforganising,
activismandadvocacycanalsoinspirescalingupofworker-driveninnovationintheglobalized
economy.
Buildingonresearch(Siegmann2015,Siegmannetal.2014a,2014b,2016,forthcoming)onand
activismforinnovativeworker-driveninitiativesatISS,westartedconceptualisingtheForumon
Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalizedEconomyin2015.WeimaginedthisForumasoffering
spaceforsharingsomeoftheseexperiencesasawaytodrawfromthestrengthsandlessons
learnedofpastexperiences.FundingfromtheMondiaalFNV,partoftheDutchtradeunion
confederationFNV,aswellasfromtheISSCivicInnovationResearchInitiative(CIRI)allowedusto
puttheseideasintopractice.
InoldRomancities,theforumreferredtoanopenpublicspace.OurForumofferedsuchaspace,
too.Participationfluctuatedbetween45personsandacoregroupofadozeninternationalguests
plusahandfulofISSstudentsandmembersoffaculty.Thegroupofparticipantswascharacterised
byanenormousdiversity(seeAnnex1):Participants’originsrangedfromIndiatoItaly,from
PakistantoParis.Theyrepresentedworkerscultivatingorangesandtomatoes,stitchinggarmentsas
wellasprovidingdomesticandsexualservices.Thegroupincludedworkers,tradeunionistsand
otherlabourrightsadvocates,researchersandstudentsfromtheISSaswellasfromother
institutions–andnottoforgetthetwosonsoftheCIWrepresentativeandco-founderLucas
Benitez.Heproudlysharedthattheboys’firstwordswerenot‘Papa’and‘Mum’,but‘boycott’.
Encouragingexamplesofworker-driveninnovation
Theinternationalguestsrepresentedandfamiliarisedusavarietyofinnovativemechanismsforthe
regulationoflabourrelations:
• TheFFPoutlinedabovewasoneofthem,representedbyLucasBenitezandNatali
Rodriguez.
• Domesticworkersaroundtheglobehavecomeoutoftheinvisibilityoftheirprivate
workplacestoleadacampaignforrecognitionandrightsthatledtoaninternational
DomesticWorkersConventionandtheestablishmentoftheInternationalDomesticWorkers
11
Federation(IDWF).WehadthehonourandpleasuretowelcomeMyrtleWitbooi,theIDWF’s
President.
• KaramatAli,DirectorofthePakistanInstituteofLabourEducationandResearch(PILER),
sharedtheexperienceofthesuccessfullobbyingafterPakistan’sworstindustrialdisaster,a
factoryfireinKarachiin2012.MobilisationbyanumberofcivilsocietyactorsinPakistan,
ledbyPILER,resultedinthesigningofamemorandumofunderstandingbythe
transnationalbuyerofgarmentsfromthatfactory,KiKTextilien,andPILERforthe
immediatereliefandlongtermcompensationtotheaffectedfamiliesoftheworkerswho
losttheirlives.
• Themovementoftheunemployedaswellasworkers’occupationandself-managementof
factorieswerejusttwoofthemultipleformsofworkers’collectiveagencyinthecontextof
thefinancialandeconomiccrisisinArgentinathatMaurizioAtzeni,CentreforLabour
Relations,NationalResearchCouncilofArgentina,portrayed.
• StefanSchmalz,UniversityofJena,outlinedhowIGMetall,thelargeGermanmetalworker
unionand,accordingtoSchmalz,an‘industrialdinosaur’,celebratedacomebackthrough
innovativeorganizingstrategiesamongprecarious,outsourcedworkers.
• AnannyaBhattacharjee,InternationalCoordinatoroftheAsiaFloorWageAlliance,shared
theconceptoftheAsiaFloorWage(AFW)developedbyAsianlabourorganizations.The
AFWwouldenablearegionalmovefrompovertytowardslivingwagesintheglobalgarment
industrialframework.
• Lamine(MohamedRassoulou)NiangintroducedtheruralcooperativeManieTerra(Hands
andLand)inSouthernItaly.ManieTerrasellstheiragriculturalproduceatafairprice,
higherthantheoneimposedbybigretailers,thatwayguaranteeingafairremunerationto
workersandproducers.InthecontextoftheexploitationofmigrantworkersinSouthern
Europeanagriculture,ManieTerraestablishesasmalllivingexamplethatanalternative,
worker-ledgovernanceofthelabourprocessispossible.
• Arguingthatthebadworkingconditionsinthesexindustryandinformalsectorsarethenew
normsinacontextofneo-liberalgovernanceofmarkets,ThierrySchaffauser,International
CommitteeontheRightsofSexWorkersinEurope(ICRSE),emphasisedthattheexperience
ofsexworkersdoesmatter.Hesharedsexworkers’strugglesforrecognitionandrights
duringtheForum.
• FromEvangelinaArgueta,ProjectCoordinatoroftheHondurantradeunionCentralGeneral
deTrabajadores(CGT),welearnedabouttheCGT’ssuccessfulstrugglesagainstTNCs’
12
repressionofcollectivelabourrightsinaHonduranEPZ.Theyresultedinthesigningofan
innovativeagreementwiththegarmentgiantFruitoftheLoom.
• SandraClaassen,FairWorksharedexperiencesfromFairWork’sfightsagainstforcedlabour
inarichcountryliketheNetherlands.Migrantworkers,inparticular,areaffected.So-called
‘culturalmediators’frommigrantcommunitiesareusedtoreachouttoasmanyworkersas
possibleforawareness-raisingabouttheirlabourrights.
• JeroenMerk,ISS,introducedhowIndonesiansportswearworkerslobbiedfortheFreedom
ofAssociation(FoA)ProtocolintheIndonesiansportswearchain.Thisinnovativetriangular
agreementbetweenIndonesiantradeunions,sportswearmanufacturersandbuyershasthe
potentialtore-balancepowerrelationsbetweenworkers,factorymanagementandlarge
sportswearbrands.
Participatorymethodsledtoactiveengagementandmutualinspiration
Weinvitedtheparticipatingpractitionersandscholarsofworker-driveninnovationtoengagewith
thefollowingkeyquestions:
1. Whatparticularconditionsmakeorganizing/strategizingmorefavourable?
2. Whichfactorspromoteworker-driveninnovation?
3. Howcanworker-driveninnovationbemadeeffectiveinthelong-term?
4. Howcanupscalingofworker-driveninnovationbeachievedintheglobalisedeconomy?
Inthesectionsbelow,weprovideconcisesummariesoftheForumdiscussionsandinsightsrelevant
tothesequestionsthathaveemergedfromtheevent.
TheForumprogrammewasorganisedinsuchawaytocatalyseactiveengagementofallparticipants
(seeAnnex2).Besidesplenaryandsmallgroupdiscussionsthattookplaceintheinformalspaceof
theISSattic,wevisitedtheFNVinAmsterdamtolearnaboutanddiscusssomeofthefederation’s
neworganisingandregulatoryinitiatives.Weusedarangeofparticipatorytechniquestostimulate
thebuildingoftrust,invitediscussionandencouragenetworkingamongparticipants2.Forinstance:
• Anice-breakingexerciseintroducedparticipants’backgroundandexpectationswhilst
simultaneouslydevelopingacolourfulnetworkofwoollenthreadbetweenthem.
• Theworker-driveninnovationsoutlinedabovewereintroducedinaso-calledWorldCafé
format.Afterconciseintroductionsofthehighlightsoftheinitiatives(±5minutes),
2WegratefullyacknowledgeinspirationofandsuggestionsbyourcolleagueKeesBiekart,ISS,here.
13
participantscouldraisequestionsanddiscussaspectsoftheseexperiencesthatwereof
specificinteresttotheminsmallergroups(±20minutes).
• Thediscussiononhowupscalingofworker-driveninnovationcouldbeachievedtookplace
inaso-calledFishbowlsetting.Itimpliedthatafterinitialinputsfromasmallpanelof
participants,thosewhowantedtocommentorraisequestionscoulddothatbyjoiningan
emptychaironthepanel.
• DuringthelastdayoftheForum,inaparticipatoryprocess,allparticipantsjointlysetthe
agendaforhowtotakethediscussionofthefirsttwodaysfurther.
Thedifferentsmallergroupsthatemergedasaresultofthesetechniques,amongothers,supported
trustbuilding,mutuallearningandcatalysednetworkingacrossgeographicalandoccupational
boundaries.Itbroughttogetheragricultural,domesticandsexworkerrepresentativesarounda
platformforinformalworkers,inspiredtradeunionistsintheLatinAmericangarmentsectortolearn
frominitiativestocounterthedownwardwagespiralintheAsiangarmentchainandallowed
migrantworkersinItalytodrawfromtheexperienceoftheCIW’sstrugglesintheUS.
ThierrySchaffauserexplainstheresultsofhisgroup’sdiscussion
14
ThebackgroundnotessubmittedbytheinternationalForumparticipantsandournotestakenduring
thethreedaysoftheForumformthebasisofthisreport.Selectively,werelatetheseexperiences
andinsightstobackgroundresearch,includingourown.Thereportsummarisestheexperienceof
theForumfromourperspectiveandinvitesdiscussionofourinterpretationsandconclusions.Inthe
following,wereflectonhowForumparticipantsunderstood‘worker-driveninnovation’(section2)
andhowitcomesabout,canbepromotedandmadeeffectiveinthelong-term(section3).Theroles
oftradeunionsandacademicalliesarediscussedinsections4and5.Intheconcludingsection6,we
returntotheForumobjectivesandkeyquestionsandreflectonwhatwehavelearnedfromthe
encountersduringthethreedaysdurationoftheevent.
2.Givingmeaningtoworker-driveninnovation3
InpreparationoftheForum,severaloftheinviteesasked:“Whatdoyoumeanby‘worker-driven
innovation’?”TheChineselabourscholarandForumparticipantChrisChanevenpolitelyapologised:
“Thisconceptisnewforme”.Therewasnoreasonforapologies:Theconceptwasnewfor
everyone.ItwascoinedfortheForum.
Reclaiming‘innovation’forcivicmovements
TheinvitationtotheForumbroadlycharacterisedworker-driveninnovationasinitiativesthrough
whichworkersandlabourorganisations,jointlywithallies,havesuccessfullychallengedthe
economic,politicalandsocialstructuresthatmarginalizethem.Theterm‘innovation’wasincluded
inanefforttore-claimitfrommanagementdiscourses.InourISSresearchgroup,theCivic
InnovationResearchInitiative(CIRI),weusetheterm‘civicinnovation’toidentify,understandand
promoteformsofcollaborationofcivicactorsthatembodyprogressivesocialchange.Inthefirst
CIRIbookthataimsatgivingmeaningtocivicinnovation,ourcolleagueshaveexpressedthisasthe:
“[…]multipleeconomic,politicalandsocialprocesseswherepeople,organizations,movementsand
ideasareshapingstrugglesforglobaljusticeontheinterfaceofcapitalism.[…]Civicinnovationis
aboutfocusingonwhatispositive,creativeandimaginativeinthefaceofaworldthatseemsbeset
3Thesub-titleisinspiredbyBiekartetal.(2016).
15
bycrisisnarratives,whetherfinancial,economic,ecological,socialorcultural”(Biekartetal.2016:
3).
Workersdrivingprogressivechange
DuringtheForumdiscussions,however,severalfeaturesthatcharacteriseworker-driveninnovation
cametothefore:itisdrivenbytheworkersthemselveswhoexperiencepovertyandprecarity,and
itbuildsonworkers'specificknowledgeoftheirworkingconditionsaswellasofthemechanisms
thatexploitorempowerthem.
Asmentionedabove,theFFPwasanimportantsourceofinspirationforourunderstandingofwhat
itmeansforaninitiativetobe‘worker-driven.MechanismsliketheFFP,thattheCIWhasdubbed
‘worker-drivensocialresponsibility’(WSR)4-incontrasttocorporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)–
respondtothedemandfora‘sea-changeintheinternationalbusinessmodelandtheactive
participationofinformedandempoweredworkers’(Brown2013:5).TheCIWbringsoutthe
contradictionsofcompany-ledCSRwhenitasks:“Doesthecorporationwhosesupplychainis
riddledwithhumanrightsviolationsdrivetheprogram,ordotheworkerswhosebasichumanrights
arebeingviolatedonadailybasis?”(CIW2014).Onthatbasis,theCoalitionarguesthat:“Ifahuman
rightsprogramistobeeffective,thehumanswhoserightsareinquestionmustbekeyplayersin—
thearchitects,nottheobjectsof—thedesignandimplementationoftheprogram”(CIW2014).The
resultofinitiativesfordecentworkinwhichworkersthemselvesareatthehelmisthedesignof
workplacestandardsinwhichworkersthemselves“[…]craftindustryspecificcodesofconductthat
reflecttheparticularrightsandreformsnecessarytotransformabrutaljobintoamoremodern,
morehumaneworkplace.WSRcodescontainprovisionsdesignedtogetatlongstandingabusesthat
onlyworkerscouldknow,theformsofexploitationandhumiliationuniquetoeachparticular
industrythatworkershaveexperiencedforgenerations,butnooutside“expert”couldeverdivine”
(CIW2014).AprominentexamplefromFlorida’stomatofieldsistheeliminationofthepracticeof
forcedoverfillingofharvestingbucketsthroughtheFFP.Thispracticeeffectivelydeniedworkerspay
forupto10percentofthetomatoestheyharvested(FFSC2016:6-7).
Innovationbuildsonworkers’first-handknowledgeofworkingconditions
OtherinitiativesdiscussedduringtheForum,too,highlightthatworker-driveninnovationbuildson
workers'specificknowledgeofthelabourprocessaswellasoftheconcreteexpressionsof
4TheCIWhasacopyrightonthisterm.
16
structuresthatexploitorempowerthem.ChrisChansummarisedthissuccinctly,whenhepointed
outthat:“Therealproblemsonlyworkerscantellyou”.Forinstance,Asiangarmentworkersknow
theircostsofreproduction.Theyarethereforeinthebestpositiontodesignalivingwagelikethe
AFWthatoffersthemcompensationallowingforadecentstandardofliving.TheFoAProtocolinthe
Indonesiansportswearindustryaddressesthemicro-formsofunionrepressionthattheIndonesian
tradeunionsinvolvedintheProtocol'snegotiationknewtoowell(Siegmannetal.2014b:14).Inthe
innovativecollectivebargainingagreement(CBA)betweentheCGTandFruitoftheLoom’s
Honduransubsidiary,workers'knowledgeturnedouttobekeyinaveryspecificway:Workerswere
awareofthemanagersinvolvedinanti-unionbehaviourandworkers'repression.Basedonthat,
theyensuredthesewerenotrecruitedaspartthemanagerialstaffinthenewplant.
‘Worker-driven’isnotnecessarilyunion-driven
DuringtheopeningoftheForum,wepointedoutthatworker-drivendoesnotonlycontrastwith
corporate-driveninitiativesasemphasisedbytheCIW.Inmanycases,‘worker-driven’isalso
differentfrom‘tradeunion-driven’.Historically,domesticandsexworkareexamplesoftwolarge
occupationscharacterizedbyhighdegreesofprecarityandrampantviolationsofkeylabourrights
(ILO2013,SandersandHardy2013).Yet,often,traditionaltradeunionshaveignoredboth,arguing
thatdomesticandsexworkdonotconstituteworkand/orthatorganizingtheseoccupationsistoo
difficult(Pape2016,Schaffauser2015).Nonetheless,drivenbydomesticworkersandtheircolourful
coalitions,theInternationalDomesticWorkersNetworklobbiedsuccessfullyforthe2011Domestic
WorkersConventionC189,aninternationallegalinstrumentforrespect,recognitionandregulation
ofdomesticwork.WhileAmnestyInternationalhasurgedgovernmentstoprotectofthehuman
rightsofsexworkersthroughmeasuresthatincludethedecriminalisationofsexwork(Amnesty
International2016:2),sexworkershavenotyetachievedbroadrecognitioninthetradeunion
movement.Insum,‘worker-driven’essentiallyreferstoexamplesofworkersgettingtogetherand
organisingtoimprovetheirlot–independentlyofwhatformstheorganisationtheygiveto
themselvestake.
Worker-driveninnovationas‘positiveclasscompromise’
Initially,welookedatworker-driveninnovationfromtheperspectiveofWright's(2000:958,967)
notionof‘positiveclasscompromise’,referringtothemutualcooperationbetweenopposingclasses
thatemergesfromstrongworkerorganizations’struggles.TheFreedomofAssociation(FoA)
ProtocolintheIndonesiansportswearindustryintroducedbyISSresearcherJeroenMerkcanbe
17
seenasanexampleofthistypeofworker-driveninitiative.TheProtocolwascatalysedbythe
collaborationofdiverseIndonesiantradeunionsandsupportedbylabourrightsorganizationsin
EuropeandAustralia.WorkingwiththeunionstowardstheFoAProtocolallowedmanufacturersto
overcomeasituationinwhichviolentlabourstruggleschokedproduction.Furthermore,the
Protocol‘rescued’sportswearbrandsfromthreatstotheirreputationasproducersthat‘playfair’
withtocollectivelabourrights.Wright(2000:976)assumesthisformofclasscompromisetobe
morestablethatnegativeclasscompromise.Thistimedimension,theinstitutionalisationor'long-
termeffectiveness'ofimprovementsforlabouris,ofcourse,crucial.
Worker-driveninnovationasalternativeformofproduction
Yet,thediscussionsattheForumbroughttotheforeamuchgreaterdiversityofformsofworker-
driveninnovation.Otherinitiativesincludedtherecentestablishmentoftheagriculturalcooperative
ManieTerrainSouthernItalybylocalandforeignlabourersandthefactoryoccupationsthat
Argentinianworkersorganisedinthemidstofthecollapseofthenationaleconomyin2001.They
representattemptstopromoteaprocessofsocialtransformationfrombelowthroughthe
establishmentofalternativeformsofproductionbasedonworkers’controlandself-management
(SOSRosarnoandManieTerra2016).
DuringthegroupdiscussionthatfollowedhisWorldCaféteaser,MaurizioAtzenitherefore
emphasisedthatthereisaneednottofocusstrictlyonindustrialrelations.Formsoforganisation
andmobilisationoftengooutsidetraditionalclassboundariesandencompasstheneighbourhood,
thecommunity,thesphereofsocialreproduction,andeverydaylife.Otheractors,suchaspoliceand
landlordsincaseofmanysexworkers,contributetolabourprecarity.Aswillbediscussedbelow,to
challengethem,workersindifferentsectorsandgeographicalsettingshavejoinedhandswitha
rangeofalliesoutsidetheirworkspaces.
Innovationtakesplacefromlocaltogloballevel
Diversityalsorelatedtothegeographicalscaleatwhichinnovationtookplace.Forinstance,while
factoryoccupationsinArgentinahappenedandManieTerraoperatesatalocallevel,theAFW,FFP
andFoAProtocoladdressworkingconditionsinonesector,each,atbothnational(FFP,FoA
Protocol)andregionallevel(AFW).TheDomesticWorkersConventionC189isasectoralinstrument
thatintervenesatthesupra-nationallevelfollowingsomeformof‘boomerangpattern’:the
InternationalDomesticWorkersNetworkusedlobbyingattheleveloftheInternationalLabour
18
Conferenceasanorganizingtoolinordertoputmoreeffectivepressureonnationalactors
subsequently(SiegmannandSchiphorst2016:119).Moregenerally,a‘boomerangpattern’in
transnationaladvocacyisbasedonlinkagesbetweenactivistsintheglobalSouthandglobalNorth
variousparts.Throughthesenetworks,domesticactorsseekinternationalalliestotrytobring
pressureontheirstatesfromoutside(KeckandSikkink1999:93).
3.Thehowofworker-driveninnovation
ThedebatesattheForumcentredaroundthe“how”ofworker-driveninnovation.Activists,scholars
andstudentsengagedpassionatelyandextensivelywiththequestionsthatwehadraisedinourcall
totheForum.Inthissection,weanalyticallysummarisethedebatesaboutconditionsthatmake
organizingmorefavourable,factorspromotingworker-driveninnovationandmakingiteffectivein
thelong-termaswellasaboutwaystobringworker-driveninnovationtoscale.
Whatenablesorganizingforworker-driveninnovation?
Whetherworker-driveninitiativesemergefromantagonisticclassstruggles,involvesomeformof
collaborationwithcorporationsortaketheformofworkers’self-management:organisingworkersis
anecessaryconditionforinnovativecollectivemovestowardsdecentwork.
Ourdiscussionsprovidedrichlearningexperiencesaboutwhichfactorsenableorganising,as
buildingworkers’‘associationalpower’(Wright2000).Forumparticipantshighlightedtheroleof
bothintangibleresources,suchaseffectivecommunicationwithandconfidence-buildingamong
workers,aswellastangibleresourcesintheformofavailablefunds.Ademocraticpolitical
environmentisimportant,butnotsufficientforworkplacedemocratisation.
Forumco-organiserShikhaSethia,ISS,highlightedthatangerandfrustrationaboutpoorworking
conditionsandviolationsofworkers’rightsarecommontriggersfororganisingforprogressive
change.Domestic,sexandagriculturalworkers’precarity,state-backedunionrepressionin
HonduranorIndonesianfactories,aswellaspovertywagesinawiderangeofsectorsclearly
motivatedtheorganisingeffortsandthevisionsforchangethattheForumparticipantsshared.This
angerandthesevisionsarerootedinworkers’ownexperience.MyrtleWitbooiexpressedthiswhen
19
shedeclared:“Youcanonlybuildanorganisationifyouareaworkeryourself.Youknowtheprocess,
youknowtheworth.Yourworkisyoureducation.”
TheexperiencesharedbyseveralForumparticipantshighlightsthattheselectionoforganisersthat,
beyondbeingworkersthemselves,reflectthesocialidentitiesofthetargetedworkforceiskeyto
successfulorganising.Suchsharedbackgroundfacilitateseffectivecommunicationwithand
awareness-raisingamongworkers.FairWorkthereforetriestoreachouttoasmanymigrantworkers
intheNetherlandsaspossiblethroughso-called‘culturalmediators’.Theycanformabridgeto
Dutchcultureandinstitutions.Thesemediatorsareoftenmigrantsthemselves.Someofthemare
formerworkerswhohaveexperiencedsimilarconditionsofsevereviolationsoftheirlabourrightsas
theworkersthatFairWorktriestoreachoutto.StefanSchmalzunderlinedthesamefactorimplicitly
whenhementionedthatyoungshopstewardswererecruitedtofacilitatetheorganisationofa
precariousworkforceintheGermanmetalindustry(Schmalz2016).Chun(2016:179-180)describes
similarexperiencesinthenewlycasualisedBritishColumbianhealthcaresectorinCanada.There,co-
ethnicorganizersfromtherankandfilewerehiredwhoseculturaltiesandlanguageskillshelpedthe
HospitalEmployeesUniontoreachnewimmigrantgroupswhohadlittlepriorcontactwithunions.
ThierrySchaffauserstressedthatthisprocessof‘translation’inabroadersenseisrequiredtobuild
trust:“Thebestwaytoincludethemistogototheirplacesofwork.Translateintotheirlanguages.
Theyseewedoaneffort.Youneedonekeyperson,thenthelinkworks.”Organisingemphasisesthis
trustandsolidarityastheflipsideofwhatManieTerra’sbackgroundnotereferredtoas‘savage
competitionamongworkers’(SOSRosarnoandManieTerra2016).
Moregenerally,Forumparticipantsemphasisedthatworkers’subjectiveexperiencesand
perspectivesshouldbethestartingpointfororganising.Thisinvolvesovercomingtheisolationand
resultinglackofconfidencethatmanyprecariousworkersexperience.ChrisChanarguedthat
‘docile’migrantworkerswhohavegenerallybeenunderstoodasthevictimsofglobalizationareable
tomakechangesoncetheirconfidenceisbuilt(Chan2016).Physicalisolationispartandparcelof
mostdomesticandsexworkers’labourprocess.Inthiscontext,ThierrySchaffauserhighlightedhow
sexworkers’isolationduetothesocialstigmathattheyexperienceactsasabarrierfororganisation.
Socialeventsoutsideworkcanhelptoovercomethisisolation(Schaffauser2015).Migrantworkers
inagricultureoftenexperienceghettoizationintheplacesinwhichtheyresideandworkasaresult
ofpublicandemployers’policies(SOSRosarnoandManieTerra2016).Waystobreakmigrant
workers’isolationthatwerediscussedduringtheForumincludedtheorganisationoflanguage
classes,educationaboutlabourrights,aswellascreatingspacesthatallowworkerstosocialiseand
empowerthem.MyrtleWitbooiexpressedthisconfidencepowerfullyinthesongshetaughtuson
20
thelastdayoftheForum,inwhichpeoplewhohavehistoricallynotbeenrecognisedaspartofthe
workingclassproudlyclaimacollectiveidentity:“Mymotherwasakitchengirl/Myfatherwasa
gardenboy/AndthatiswhyI’maunionist/I’maunionist/I’maunionist!”
Theavailabilityoffundsisarelevantfactorfororganising,too.InthecontextoftheGerman
metalworkerunionIGMetall,thesignificantfinancialresourcesmadeavailablewerecrucialfor
initiativestoreachouttonon-traditionalmembers.Annually,EUR16to20millionwasinvestedin
aninnovationfundearmarkedforgainingnewmembers.Thisallowedtheuniontogainmembersin
weaklyorganizedsectors,suchasagencyworkers,inatargetedmanner.Thisway,theunion
respondedtothechallengesofaglobalizedeconomyandaflexibilisedlabourmarketandrevertthe
trendofmembershipdecline(Schmalz2016).
Theroleofademocraticenvironmentwasdiscussedasanexternalfactorfororganisationamong
Forumparticipants.Inthebackgroundnotethatoutlinesandanalysestheagreementbetweenthe
Germandiscountclothingretailer,KiKTextilien,andPILERafterthe2012factoryfireinKarachi,
PILERemphasisesthatprogressinPakistan’sdemocratisationsince2008hasprovidedan
encouragingsocio-politicalenvironmentforthenegotiationoftheagreement.ChrisChan
highlightedthatinauthoritarianstateslikeChina,workers’righttoindependenttradeunionsis
denied.InSouthKorea,incontrast,thedemocratizationofthepoliticalregimecreatedconditions
forlabourorganizing.ShikhaSethiacontrastedtheideathatpoliticaldemocratisationofacountry
supportsworkplacedemocratisation,unionisationandpushingforbetterimplementationoflabour
rightswiththeviewthatpeoplewhogettiredfromdemocracyarealsowithdrawingfromactive
engagement.Thewidespreadacceptanceoflegalisedage-basedwagediscriminationinthe
Netherlandsisacaseinpoint.ForumparticipantslearnedabouttheDutchyouthminimumwage
andYoung&United’scampaignagainstitfromorganiserAnneWijers.Thecampaignillustratesthat
evenindemocraticenvironments,manyotherobstaclestoorganisingarepresent.Hence,whilea
moredemocraticenvironmentcanfacilitateorganising,thisisnotnecessarilythecase.
Morespecifically,afavourablelegalenvironmentforspecificsectorscancatalyseworkers’
organisation.Therefore,domesticworkerssawthestrugglestoberecognizedasworkerswithrights
inaninternationalconventionasanimportant,firststep.Ithelpedthemtobuildamovementand
pushforinclusionintonationallabourlawstoprovideforrealimprovementsoftheirworkingand
livingconditions(Pape2016:189).Withregardstosexworkers,ThierrySchaffauser(2015:2)argues
that:“Fulldecriminalisationofsexworkisnotgoingtoresolvealltheproblems,especiallyregarding
exploitation,butitisafirststeptohelpsexworkersorganisewithoutfear.”
21
Whichfactorspromoteworker-driveninnovation?
Externalandinternalfactorspromotingtheemergenceofworker-driveninnovationcanbe
distinguished.Externally,workers’initiativesrespondstrategicallytostructuresthatoppress
workersaswellastoacutecrises.Inthecontextofglobalisedproductionnetworks,thisoften
impliestargetingthebuyerofproductsinspacesofconsumptionratherthandirectemployersinthe
workplace.Coalition-buildingcomestotheforeasakeyinternalstrategythatfacilitatesstruggles
connectingsuchdifferentgeographies.
Worker-driveninnovationasstrategicresponsestomarginalisation
LabourscholarMaurizioAtzenipointedoutthatworkersinnovateinstrategicresponsetothe
politicalandeconomicstructuresthatoppressthem.TheAFWAllianceintheAsiangarmentindustry
exemplifiesthis.AnnanyaBhattacharjeeexplainedhowtheideaofanAFWemergedinresponseto
thepowerofafew,mostlyEuropeanorUS-Americanbuyers,brandsandretailersintheglobal
garmentindustry.ThesebuyersholdoligopolisticpoweroversuppliersintheglobalSouth,enabling
themtodrivedownthepricespaidtomanufacturerswho,inturn,passthemontogarmentworkers
intheformofpovertywages.Basedonthisstrategicanalysisofthegarmentglobalvaluechain
(GVC),theAWFAlliancedecidedtotargetbuyingcompanies,i.e.thoseactorsintheGVCwhorealise
thehighestshareofprofits,withtheirdemandforaregionallivingwageinordertostopthe
competitionatworkers’expense.
TheCIWoffersasimilarstoryinadifferentindustry–theagro-foodchain.TheCoalition’sstrategic
decisiontotargetbuyersoftomatoesemergedinreactiontothefailureoftheirinitialcampaigning
strategy.Duringthefirstyearsoftheirstruggles,theCIWwasaddressingthegrowersofthe
tomatoestheyharvestedwiththeirdemandsforhigherwagesandmorehumaneworking
conditions.LucasBenitezdescribedthat:“Then,weunderstoodthatwewerenotseeingthereal
chains.”Thecompaniesbuyingtomatoeswereinvisible.Therealisationthatthesebuyerswerethe
realpowerholderschangedtheCIW’sapproach:Itstartedtotargetthebuyersoftomatoes.
ThecooperativeManieTerraemergedinaretailer-drivenfoodchain,notverydifferentfromthe
caseofCIW.Inthatcontext,smallproducersinSouthernEuropearebeingsqueezedandworkers
experiencesub-povertywagesandextremelyprecariousworkingandlivingconditions.Their
responseisaneconomicmodelbasedonworkers’self-management(Oliveri2015;SOSRosarnoand
ManieTerra2016).Itisbasedontheanalysisthat,inthecurrentframeworkcharacterisedby
economicrecessionandfinancialspeculation,itisnotrealistictothinkthatthestrugglesof
subordinatedworkersmightsuccessfullychallengetheorganisationoflabourinproduction.
22
LamineNiangsharesManieTerra’sexperienceofcreatinganalternativeformofproduction
Giventhiscontextualcharacterofworkers’initiatives,KaramatAli’sdemandedworkers’strategic
engagementwithexistinglegalmechanismsatnationalandsupra-nationallevel.WhilePakistan
ratifiedtheInternationalLabourOrganisation’s(ILO’s)ConventiononFreedomofAssociationand
ProtectionoftheRighttoOrganisedecadesago,theILOandnationalsanctioningmechanismsdo
noteffectivelyprotectworkersagainstviolationsofthisright.AccordingtoAli,theEU’sGeneral
SystemofPreferences(GSP)+thatconnectspreferentialtradeaccesstotheEUwithgood
governanceintheareaoflabourrights,incontrast,hasthepotentialtobecomeatoolforworkersin
Pakistantoprotectthisandothercorelabourrights.
Crisisastriggerforworker-driveninnovation
Worker-driveninnovationalsorespondstoimmediatecrisesthattriggeraction.Theshapesofthe
crisesdiscussedduringtheForumwerediverse.Theymaythreatentheverylifeofworkersand
organisersorrepresentanimmediateandseriousthreattotheirbasic,materialneeds.
23
Thesigningofamemorandumofunderstanding(MoU)bythetransnationalbuyerofgarmentsKiK
TextilienandthePakistanInstituteofLabourEducationandResearch(PILER)isacaseinpointhere.
ThesuccessfulmobilisationforthenewinitiativewastriggeredbyPakistan’sworstindustrial
disasterthatledtothelossof256lives,while55workersremainedinjuredintheincident.TheMoU
stipulatedtheimmediatereliefandlong-termcompensationtofamiliesoftheworkerswholost
theirlivesinthe2012factoryfireinKarachi,Pakistan.
Suchcrisesurgeworkers,organisersandtheiralliesthatsomethingneedstobedone–urgentlyand
inadifferentwayfromthepast.MaurizioAtzeni(2016)underscoredhowfactoryoccupationsand
workers’self-managementinArgentinaemergedinresponseto“thethreatoffactoryclosurethat
thecollapseoftheeconomyinDecember2001accelerated,andintheabsenceofopportunitiesin
thelabourmarket”.
Crisis,morespecificallythecrisisoforganisation,hasalsobeenaninternaltriggerforinnovation.For
instance,StefanSchmalzrelatedthestepstakenforrenewaloftheGermanmetalworkerunionIG
Metalltotheenormouslossinmembershipandcollectivebargainingcoveragesincethe1990s
(Schmalz2016).TheCIW’sabovementionedstrategicchangeofcoursesincetheturnofthe
millenniumcansimilarlybereadasaresponsetoorganisationalcrisis.
‘Jumpingscale’tocounterlabourprecarity
SeveralForumparticipantsarguedthat,inordertocounterlabourprecarityintheglobalised
economy,workers’initiativesneedto‘jumpscale’(Merk2009)andtargetpowerfultransnational
buyersratherthantheirdirectemployers.Severalreasonswerebeingnotedforthisstrategicmove:
Firstly,thesebuyershaveeffectivelyemergedas‘indirectemployers’whopowerfullyinfluence
wagesandworkingconditions.Secondly,asAnnanyaBhattacharjeepointedout,brandsdispose
overthenecessaryfinancialpower:“[…]theirsharingofanegligiblefractionoftheirprofitcould
dramaticallyliftmillionsofworkersandfamiliesoutofpoverty”(AFWAlliance2016).Thirdly,
‘jumpingscale’shiftsattentionawayfromworkplace-basedstruggles,whereworkersarevulnerable
todismissal.TheexperienceofHondurangarmentworkersillustratesthis.In2008and2009,Fruitof
theLoomshutdowntwoHonduranfactoriesinretaliationtoworkersformingaunion.Yet,workers
reversedthissituationofunionoppressionandpovertywagesthroughalandmarkCBA.They
achievedthisvictoryincollaborationwithlaboursolidaritygroupsinNorthAmericaandEuropewho
putpressureonthebrandthroughboycottandothermeans.
24
EvangelinaArguetaunderlinestheroleofstrategicalliancesforCGT’scampaign
Powerincoalition5
ForthesuccessoftheCGT’scampaignaswellasformanyotherexamplessharedduringtheForum,
thepresenceofcoalitionswithothersocialactorsandmovementscameoutasakeyinternal
catalystofworker-driveninnovation.Theyallowedworkerorganisationstojumpscaleinsomecases
andenabledworkerstoestablishalternativeeconomicmodelsinothers.
EvangelinaArgueta,CGT’sProjectCoordinator,arguedthatthesuccessoftheunion’scampaignwas
onlypossiblebecauseofthedurablestrategicalliancesbetweenherunion,humanrights
organisationsandotherallies.FortheCGT,theUnitedStudentsAgainstSweatshops(USAS)wasa
keyally.ThisstudentlabourorganizationmobilisedpublicopinionintheUSagainstunionrepression
inFruitoftheLoom’sfactoriesinHonduras.Besides,theypressurisedFruitoftheLoombyusing
theirbulkpurchasingpowerasinstitutionalgarmentsconsumers.Thisledtotheabovementioned
contractterminations.Brookes(2013:192)callsthisworkers’‘coalitionalpower’asworkers’
capacity“[…]toexpandthescopeofconflictbyinvolvingother,nonlaboractorswillingandableto
5Thesub-headingreferstoTattersall’s(2010)booktitle.
25
influenceanemployer’sbehavior”.Whileprecariousworkerswhousetheirstructuralpowertostall
productionrisklosingtheirjob,coalitionalpowerenablesthemtoshiftthelocusofstrugglesfrom
theplaceofproductiontotheplaceofconsumption(Siegmannetal.2016:114).
Physicalproximityhasanimportroletoplayincoalition-building.TheCGT’scampaignwasacasein
pointhere.Forit’ssuccessitwasimportantthatunionrepresentativestouredseveralUS
universitiestogetintouchwithandmobilisestudentsandstudentorganisationsasallies.
EvangelinaArguetastressedthat,forcoalitionstobeeffectiveforworker-driveninnovation,allies’
agendasneedtobealigned(Argueta2016).TheFoAProtocolintheIndonesiansportswearindustry,
too,exemplifiesthis.ThecoordinationbetweenIndonesiantradeunionsandtheiralliesinEurope
andAustraliaincreasedpressureonsportswearproducersandbrandswhohadalessunitedand
clearagenda(Siegmannetal.2014b).
Inthesecases,aswellasinPILER’sMoUwithKiKTextilien,allianceswithlaboursolidaritygroups
enabledworkers’campaignsto‘jumpscale’andtargetbrandsandretailers.Thespatialdistance
betweenworkersandthese‘indirectemployers’wasbeingbridgedbyallies,whichoften
representedcriticalcitizenandconsumergroupsinmainconsumermarkets.‘Coalitionalpower’
enablesworkerstopressuriseinspacesofconsumptionalongsidetheworkplaceinsomeformof
‘pincermovement’(Siegmannetal.2016:122).
PILER’sbackgroundnoteontheagreementbetweentheGermandiscountclothingretailer,KiK
Textilien,andPILERpointedoutthatthelinkagesandtrustwithgarmentworkersthatPILERhad
builtupthroughcollaborationwithawomenworkers’unionandgenerallythroughtradeunion
bodieswerecrucial.InanexchangebetweenhimandEvangelinaArgueta,KaramatAlihighlighted
PILER’sroleasorganiserofthe2006WorldSocialForuminKarachifortrustbuildingamongvarious
socialgroupswithinandoutsidePakistan.Basedonthattrust,inthenegotiationsoftheagreement,
PILERplayedtheroleofaninterlocutor“[…]whoinspire[s]andknit[s]togethertheneedednetwork
ofactorstosynergizethechangeprocess”(Biekartetal.2016:9).
ThierrySchaffauserpointedtoasimilardynamicwhenhedescribedcoalition-buildingthroughsex
workers’solidarityactionsinFrance.Sexworkerswouldjoindemonstrationsagainstthenewlabour
lawinFrance,despitethefactthattheiroccupationisnotcoveredbythelabourlawanyway.Their
messageisboth:“Thisisthetypeofinsecuritythatyougetwhenyoudoawaywithlabour
protection”,butalso:“Wearepartofthelabourmovement-andwesupportyourstruggles!”
LamineNianghighlightedadifferentrolethatalliescanplayinsupportingworker-driveninnovation
inthecaseoftheItalianagriculturalcooperativeManieTerra.InManieTerra’sexperience,
26
innovationtakestherouteofestablishinganalternativeeconomicmodelfrombelow.Toachieve
this,workersunitedinthecooperativerelyonthesupportofprogressivefarmersandcritical
consumerswithwhomtheysharevaluesof“sustainability,equityandconviviality”(SOSRosarno
andManieTerra2016).Jointly,theyformtheassociationSOSRosarno.Farmersexperiencean
incomesqueezeasaresultoftheirmarginalroleinmainstreambuyer-drivenfoodchains.Insearch
ofanalternative,theysubcontractthemanagementoftheharvestofolivesoforangesand
commercialisationoftheirproductstothecooperative.Inreturn,workersseetheirincomes
increaseandobtainafairerremunerationoftheirownwork.Asregardscriticalconsumers,their
roleintheestablishmentofthisalternativechainisequallycrucial.Ontheonehand,bypurchasing
orangesandotherproductsfromproducersata‘fairprice’,higherthantheoneimposedbybig
retailers,theyenableworkersandfarmerstoreceiveafairremuneration.Ontheotherhand,the
salestosolidaritygroupsarecurrentlytheonlysourceoffundingforthecooperative(SOSRosarno
andManieTerra2016).
ForthecollaborationinalliancesthatLucasBenitezcomparedtothedifferentrolesofplayersina
footballteam,itiscrucialthattherepresentationofworkers’interestisworker-driven,too.Myrtle
Witbooi,firstPresidentoftheIDWFsummarisedthissuccinctly:“TheILOdecidedtodosomething
forus.Unionstriedtotalkonourbehalf.Wesaidno,youdon’tknowourwork.Wespeakfor
ourselves.”
SharednormsprovidesacoalitionwithwhatChun(2008:446)terms‘symbolicleverage’as“[…]the
waysinwhichstructurallymarginalgroupsofworkersinvokenotionsofcollectivemoralityto
cultivatea‘positionaladvantage’overmorepowerfulsocialactorsandinstitutions”.Inafirststep,
suchsharednormshelptoextendtherangeofpossiblecoalitionpartners.TheCIW’ssynonymous
useoftheterm‘humanrights’and‘labourrights’illustratesthis.IthasallowedtheCoalitiontorope
inallies,suchasvariousgroupsoffaith,whichareunlikelytorallybehindlabourrights,butdoshow
practicalsolidaritywhenhumanrightsareatstake.Itisclearfromthisexamplethattheshared
normsthatsupportcoalition-buildinginvolveacertaindegreeofconstruction.Inthecaseofthe
AFWAlliance,thisconstructionisbasedonacertainmethodologytoestablishandagreeuponwhat
canbeconsideredalivingwage(Bhattacharjee2016).Thisagreement,subsequently,strengthens
thecoherenceofthecoalition’sagenda.
Brandvisibilityfacilitatesmobilisation
27
Thevisibilityofthedirectemployerorbrandsagainstwhichworkersstrugglecameoutasanother
externalcatalyticfactorforvariousmobilisationsrepresentedduringtheForum.Forinstance,the
CIW’ssuccessesinempoweringandprotectingsomeofthemostprecariousworkersintheUSA
haveemergedinacontextinwhichthebuyersofthetomatoestheypick,suchasMcDonald’sand
Walmart,arehighlyvisibletoconsumers.TheIndonesianFoAProtocolwasnegotiatedinasituation,
inwhichsportswearbrandslikeNikeandAdidaswerekeentoprotecttheirreputationas
corporationsthatare‘playingfair’regardingtradeunionrights(Siegmannetal.2016:113).
Especiallyinsectorswithastrongconsumerorientation,brands’reputationisanimportantfactor
fortheirabilitytocreateandcapturevalue(Franz2010:289).TNCssellinggoodsandserviceswitha
greatervisibilitytoconsumersare,therefore,morelikelytobeconcernedabouttheir‘reputational
capital’.Asaresult,theyaremoreeagertositaroundthenegotiatingtable.TheCGT’scampaign
againstunionrepressioningarmentcompanyFruitoftheLoom’sHonduransubsidiaryisacasein
point.FruitoftheLoomstartedtoapproachCGTafteranavalancheofthreatsandcontract
terminationsfromUS-AmericanuniversitiesthatwerepartofCGT’scoalition(Argueta2016).
Besides,companies’visibilityalsoattractsmediaattention.Ifmediaaresupportingworkers'
struggles,thiscanleadtopositivefeedbackloopsforacampaign.Indonesianworkers’struggles
duringtheSuhartodictatorship,forexample,hadanimpactbeyondthelocalandnationallevel
whenWesternmediabegantocovertheseevents,highlightingsweatshopconditionsatfamous
brandslikeNike,Adidasetc.(Siegmannetal.2014b).
Howcanworker-driveninnovationbemadeeffectiveinthelong-term?
Onceworkers’mobilisationforchangehasbeensuccessful,howcantheeffectivenessoftheir
initiativesbeensuredinthelong-term?Giventhevarietyofinitiatives,theanswerstothisquestion
providedduringtheForumarenaturallydiverse.Keepingthisqualifierinmind,ourdiscussions
highlightedtheimportanceofmonitoringandenforcementmechanisms,flankedbythethreatwith
marketand/orstatesanctions.
Effectiveenforcementthrougheducatedworkers
Forumparticipantsunderlinedtheimportanceofenforcementmechanisms,especiallyforthose
initiativesthatinvolvesometypeofagreementwithworkers’directorindirectemployers.
Enforcementtypicallyincludesmonitoringandsanctioningmechanisms.EvangelinaArgueta(2016)
warnedthatintheabsenceofmonitoring,powerfulcompaniesareunlikelytocomplywith
28
agreementstheyhavesignedtoreducepublicpressureontheirreputation.Asaresult,workersdo
notfeelthattheyhaveachievedgreaterjustice.Toaddresstheserisks,theCGT’sCBAwithFruitof
theLoomincludes,amongothers,thesettingupofasupervisorycommitteetomonitorandenforce
allaspectsoftheagreement(Argueta2016).
Inordertobeeffective,enforcement,too,needstobedrivenbyworkers.TheFFP’seffectiveness
hasmuchtodowiththeCoalition’spresenceonthegroundwithatwodecades-longhistoryof
organisingandstruggle.AccordingtoLucasBenitez,thewholepointoftheFFPisthatitisleadby
workers.Therefore,itplacesthejobofmonitoringlabourrightssquarelyinthehandsofthosewho
workinthefields(CIW2016a).A24hourcomplaintlinethattheycancontactisanexampleof
farmworkers’centralroleintheFFP’senforcement.Itisbeingansweredlivebythemonitoring
organization,theFairFoodStandardsCouncil(FFSC).TheFFSCinvestigatesthecomplaints,ensures
thatworkers’inputisnotignoredandhelpsidentifyandeliminatethesourcesofcodeviolations
(CIW2016a).Besidesbeingmoreeffective,worker-drivenenforcementoftheFFPisalsomore
efficient.Otherwise,itwouldbedifficulttoimpossibletomarshalsufficientresourcestomonitor
violationsinthefields(CIW2016b).
AnnanyaBhattacharjeereinforcedthispointwhenshearguedthattheonlywaytoenforcetheAFW
isthroughunions,ratherthanseeingtheestablishmentofalivingwagebenchmarkasanalternative
forunionisation.Thatiswhy‘strategicunionisation’remainsoneofthemaingoalsoftheunions
involvedintheAFWAlliance(Bhattacharjee2016).
Workerscandrivetheenforcementofnewinitiativestoimprovetheirlabourconditionsonlyifthey
areawareoftheirrightsandentitlements.AgainstthebackdropofEastAsianlabourmovements,
ChrisChan(2016)arguedthatlaboureducationandthepromotionofworkers’self-organisationare
themostimportantstepstowardslong-termeffectivenessofworker-driveninnovation.IntheFFP,
worker-to-workereducationiscarriedoutregularlybyteamsofCIWmembersonfarmsaroundthe
state.TheCIW(2016a)arguesthat:“Theeducationprogram—combinedwiththedistribution(at
thetimeofhire)ofarightsbookletandtheviewingofavideoproducedbytheCIWexplainingthe
rightsundertheFairFoodcodeofconduct—isdesignedtoensurethateachandeveryworker
knowshisorherrightsandhowtoenforcethem“.
Followingthislogic,KaramatAliproposedsystematictrainingofshopstewardsinPakistan’sindustry
aboutlabourrights.Thiswouldensurethatthelabour-relatedstipulationsofPakistan’spreferential
tradeaccesstotheEUundertheGSP+couldbecomeaneffectiveleverfordecentwork.The
presenceofawareandempoweredworkersinPakistaniworkplacescouldrevertasituationinwhich
manyILOconventionshavebeenratifiedwithoutanyimplementation.Toachievethis,hesaw
29
supportbyunionsabroadasnecessaryinacontextofaweaktradeunionmovementand
governmentprioritiesinwhichsocialdevelopmentrankslow.
Workers’institutionalpowerenhancesinitiatives’effectiveness
TheForumdiscussionsalsobroughttotheforethatsomeformofstatebackingofworker-driven
innovationscanbeanimportantfactorenhancingtheseinitiatives’effectiveness.Brookes(2013:
188)labelssuchstatebacking‘institutionalpower’.Shedefinesitas:“[…]thecapacityofworkersto
influencethebehaviorofanemployerbyinvokingtheformalorinformalrulesthatstructuretheir
relationshipandinteractions”.Thesepublicrulescanberootedinvariousspaces:innationalor
internationallegislation,inthecountryinwhichworkplacesarelocatedorinthoseinwhich
companiesareheadquartered.
Akeyroleofinstitutionalpowerisevidentinthecaseofthedomesticworkermovement’scampaign
foraninternationalDomesticWorkersConvention.MyrtleWitbooipointedoutthatnow,after
ratificationoftheConvention,domesticworkersneedtomobilisesothatstateswilltranslateand
applytheinternationalrulesenshrinedintheconventionintoeffectivenationallegislation.
USfarmworkersarenotcovered–andhencenotstrengthenedandprotected-bynationallabour
legislation,asLucasBenitezexplainedduringtheForum.Thisvoidandtheresultingprecarityof
farmworkers,infact,motivatedtheCIW’sCampaignforFairFoodandtheemergenceoftheFFP.
Still,institutionalpowermighthavearoletoplayfortheeffectivenessoftheFFP.Contractlaw
enforceablethroughprivatelitigationunderpinstheCIW’sagreementswithbuyersandtomato
growers.Thissanctioningmechanismhasworked-sofar,ithasnotbeennecessarytoactonthe
threattostopacontract.Thissuccesscanberelatedtothecorporatesector’sinternalisationofthe
legalnormsembodiedincontractlaw.ItmakesthemeffectiveinpreventingviolationsoftheFair
FoodCodeofConduct(Siegmannetal.2016:123-4).
Thereareothercases,inwhichstatelawunderpinsinitiatives,signallingthatinstitutionalpower
couldbeleveraged,ifnecessary.TheAFWAlliancehighlightsthattheirfloorwageconceptisbased
onwidelyacceptednormsthatareinstitutionalizedinexistingpolicies,laws,andpracticesinAsian
countries(Bhattacharjee2016).Furthermore,onecanarguethatthecompositionofthetripartite
committeethatoverseestheimplementationoftheCGT’sCBAwithFruitoftheLoom’ssubsidiary
Russellinvolvessomeformofinstitutionalpower,too.BesidesrepresentationoftheCGTandFruit
oftheLoom,thiscommitteealsoincludesapubliclawyer(Argueta2016).Thisrepresentationcanbe
30
relatedtoexistinglegalsanctions,bothbasedonHonduranandUSlaw.Itcanbeconsideredan
invocationofthestate,whichhasbeenabsentinthisprocessotherwise.
Theflipsideofthisroleofinstitutionalpoweristhattheabsenceofflankinglegalenforcement
mechanismscastsdoubtontheeffectivenessofsomeoftheinitiativesweengagedwith.For
instance,KaramatAliobservedthat,todate,theGermanretailerKiKTextilienhasnotfulfilledtwoof
thethreecommitmentsitagreedtointheMoUwithPILER.TheGovernmentoftheSindhprovince
ofPakistanannouncedaflanking‘JointActionPlanforPromotingWorkplaceSafetyandHealthin
Sindh’in2013(GovernmentofSindhetal.2013),butthisplan,too,stillremainstobeimplemented.
ThelackoflegalenforcementmechanismswasalsobroughtupasanimportantcritiqueoftheDutch
covenantsforsupplychainresponsibilitythatwediscussedattheFNV.FredPolhout,managerFNV
FinanceandCommercialServices,introducedFNV’sroleinthedevelopmentofsector-based
covenantsandzoomedinonthenegotiationsofacovenantforthebankingsector6.SeveralForum
participantsflaggedthattheydidnotperceivedifferencesbetweenthecovenants’approachand–
largelyineffective-CSRinitiatives.ChrisChanconcludedthisdiscussionbysummarisingthat:“We
knowthatthebesttoolsforworkersarestatelaws.”
Marketincentivescanofferanalternativeorcomplementarymechanismtoenforcelabourrights
enshrinedintheagreementsworkershavemade.Forinstance,intheabsenceofstatepower
enforcing(undocumentedmigrants')labourrights,theFFPstandardsarebackedbymarket
consequences.Thisinvolvesthatparticipatingbuyerscommittobuytheirproduceonlyfrom
growersingoodstandingwiththeFFP,toceasepurchasesfromgrowerswhofailorrefuseto
complywiththeprogram(CIW2016).
Howcanworker-driveninnovationbebroughttoscale?
OneoftheguidingquestionsfortheForumwashowtobringworker-driveninnovationtoscale.
Withthis,weaimedatidentifyingwaysformakingimprovementsinlabourconditionseffectivefor
asmanyworkersaspossible.ManieTerraformulatesthisobjectivebeautifullyasgoingbeyond
‘happyislands’(SOSRosarnoandManieTerra2016).Thequestionhadalsobeenmotivatedbya
possibletrade-offbetweeneffectivenessandscalethathadbeenperceivedinotheranalysesofcivic
innovation(Biekartetal.2016:12).Ourdiscussionsledtosurprisinganswersbothtothequestion
abouttheformsthatupscalingofworker-driveninnovationtakesandregardingfactorsenablingit.
6ThiscovenantwassignedinOctober2016.Thefulltextcanbefoundhere.
31
Seeingsuchinitiativesasstrategicresponsestoaspecificeconomicandpoliticalcontextofworking
povertyandprecarityimpliesthattherearenoblue-printsavailableforupscaling.Instead,adapted
replicationandtrans-localcollaborationwereidentifiedasalternativewaystomakeworker-driven
initiativesrelevantformorethanthe‘happyfew’workers.
SeveralForumparticipantsproposedadaptedreplicationinsteadofinitiatives’economicgrowthin
ordertoensurethatworker-driveninnovationsdoplaymorethanasymbolicrole.ManieTerra,for
instance,isengagedinthebuildingofanation-widenetworkofotherworker-driveninnovations
inspiredbythesamevaluesandpoliticalvision–thenetworkFuoriMercato(Outsidethemarket).
TheCIWhascollaboratedwiththedairyworkerorganizationMigrantJusticeinVermontinaneffort
toreplicatetheFFPwithintheirMilkwithDignityProgram(CIW2016).Basedontheirexperience,
theCIWturnsthetrade-offperceivedinBiekartetal.(2016)upsidedownwhenitarguesthat
becausetheFFPcanbebroughttoscale,itiseffective(CIW2016).LucasBeniteztherefore
confidentlyasked:“UpscalingtothelevelofWalmartshouldbearisk?Sofar,nobodychangedthe
operationsofbigcorporations.Wedid.”
OrganisingworkersalongthegarmentvaluechaininPakistanassuggestedbyKaramatAliindicates
anotherwaytoexpandinitiativeshorizontally.Thisformofupscalingaddressestheriskthat
workers’organisationsgetcomplacentwhentheyhaveachievedtheorganisationofonesector,a
possibilitythatAnnanyaBhattacharjeehighlightedduringourdiscussions.
Horizontalexpansionpavesthewaytochangedominantnormsthatgovernaparticularindustry.
FinnemoreandSikkink(1998:895)arguethatbroadnormacceptanceor‘normcascading’by‘norm
leaders’,suchasstatesorcompanies,leadstoaninstitutionalisationofnewnorms.Suchchangeis
theresultof‘normentrepreneurs’’lobbying.AnnanyaBhattacharjeedescribedsuchaprocessof
‘normcascading’asaresultoftheAFWcampaign.Shepointedoutthat,whenthecampaignwas
initiated,garmentbrandswoulddenytheirresponsibilityforwagesandworkingconditionsalong
theirsupplychain.Now,sheargued,brandsareashamedtosaythattheyarenotpayingaliving
wage.Nowtheystate:“Wearetrying.”EvangelinaArguetadescribedthatindustrialrelationsin
othergarmentcompaniesinHondurashavechanged,too,asarippleeffectoftheCGT’sinnovative
agreementwithFruitoftheLoom.Today,largesocialhousingprojectsforworkersarebeing
developed,projectssuchaschildcarecentres,healthprogrammesatwork,tradeuniontrainingand
wagenegotiationsalltakeplace(Argueta2016).Thesedynamicsareindicativeofasimilarprocess
ofnormcascadingasaresultoftheCGT’scampaign.
ForMyrtleWitbooi,upscalingtotheinternationallevelwasthewaythroughwhichthedomestic
workers’movementbecamesuccessfulinthefirstplace.LookingbackattheForum,sheargued
32
(WitbooiandSiegmann2016):“Ifwelookatdomesticworkers’struggleatthelocallevel,wefind
thattheyhavelittlepower.Butifdomesticworkersatthelocallevelcanconnecttoformanational
organization,theyaremuchstrongertospeakoutforthemselvesandtakethevoiceofdomestic
workers’rightsfurther.[…]Youhavemuchmorepowerandmuchmorevoiceinanationalor
internationalsetting.”This‘boomerangpattern’alloweddomesticworkerstoputpressureon
nationalgovernmentsbasedonthediscursive,ratherthanmaterialpoweroftheILODomestic
WorkersConvention.
Proximitywasidentifiedasanimportantfactorcatalysingdifferentformsofupscaling.ManieTerra
emphasisesthatconnectionsbetweensubalternsmustbebasedonrealandmaterialties(SOS
RosarnoandManieTerra2016).ChrisChan'ssuggestedthatopportunitiestomeetandexchange
withotherworkersoutsidetheirowncontextcanstimulatenewideas(Chan2016).Inthislight,the
experienceofinternationalnetworkingattheForumitselfmighthaveanimportantroletostimulate
worker-driveninnovation.
4.Towardsworker-driventradeunions
Tradeunionshavehadakey,yet,ambiguousroleintheworker-driveninnovationsrepresented
duringtheForum.
Severalinitiativesemergedfromlocalunions’struggles,suchastheCGT’sFruitoftheLoom
campaigninHondurasandtheFoAProtocolinIndonesia.Howtocounterunionoppressionand
guaranteefreedomofassociationwerekeyconcernsofbothcampaigns.Thedemandforaliving
wageintheAsiangarmentindustry,too,emergedfromaprocessofconsultationandconvergence
amonganallianceledbyunions.
TheAFWAlliance’scampaignforaregionalfloorwageisanexampleforhowtradeunions’regional
networkingenabledbymovesfromcompetitiontocollaborationamongworkersindifferent
countries.WhilethestructuresofgarmentGVCspromoteanintenselevelofcompetitionbetween
workers,andbyextensionalsoofnationaleconomiesinattractingforeigninvestors,theAFWisa
caseofastrategicshiftofunions’strategiestowardsregionalandinternationalsolidarity.
ThestrategyoftheAFWmatchesandcounterstheabilityoffootloosecorporationstorelocate
relativelyeasily-enabledbylowsunkcostsandtheabilitytomoveacrossnationalborders-by
33
transnationalnetworkingwithotherworkerorganisationsandallies.EvangelinaArguetawas
fascinatedbythisapproachtodisableproducersandbuyerstoblackmailworkerorganisations.It
respondedtoherquestion:“IfyouareworkingtoimproveconditionsinHonduras,theproblemis
thatcorporationsrelocatetoothercountries.Howcanwemakesurethatthereisgeographical
extension?”
Yet,tradeunions’limitedpresenceinworkplacesandthefactthatcoverageofinitiativesis
sometimeslimitedtotheuppertierofcomplexvaluechains,raisesthequestioninhowfar
innovationisunion-ratherthanworker-driven:Howmuchdoesitcomefromcadresandleadership
ratherthanfromtheworkersthemselves,therankandfileofunions?Inthisregard,theGermanIG
Metall’scampaignforunionrenewalembodiesaninterestingcontradiction:Whileaimedatreaching
outtothevastgroupofmetalworkersnotrepresentedintheorganisation,thestrategyfortheIG
Metall’scomebackwasdesignedinatop-downfashion.
ThedynamicinGermany’slargestandmostpowerfultradeunionexemplifiesawidespreadcrisisof
representationinthegloballabourmovement,whichhasbeenslowtoacknowledgethattheranks
oftheworkingclassarefilledwithamorediversecrowdthanpermanent,male,industrial
employees.Forinstance,duringtheForum,ThierrySchaffauserhighlightedthatprecaritymoreand
morecomesintheshapeofself-employmentratherthanwagelabour,whileSandraClaassen
pointedtotheabsenceofmigrantworkers’voiceinunioncampaignsintheNetherlands.
Paradoxically,themoreprecariousthework,thelesslikelyworkersaretobeunionised.
Representingsexworkersasthe‘ultimateprecariouslabour’(SandersandHardy2013),Thierry
Schaffauser(2015)thereforeurgedtradeunionstowelcomeallworkerstojoinlabourorganisations.
Hearguedthat:"[…]tradeunionsmustunderstandindustrialchanges,andacceptthatworkersare
thewaytheyareandnotthewayunionswishthemtobe.”BothheandMyrtleWitbooirejectedthe
classicalargumentthatreproductivelabour,suchasthatprovidedbysexanddomesticworkers,is
notpartoftheproductiveeconomy.MyrtleWitbooicountered:“Unionsargued:youarenotpartof
theeconomy.Tryandseewhathappenstotheeconomyifmillionsofdomesticworkersdonotgoto
work!”
34
MyrtleWitbooiteachesusasongaboutdomesticworkersaspartoftheworkingclass
5.Researchthatworksforworkers
AcademicsandacademicinstitutionsemergeaskeyalliesinwhatChrisChanlabelled‘pro-labour
civilsocietynetworks’(Chan2016).Ourdiscussionsbroughttothefore,however,thatthetypeof
knowledgethatscholarscontributeandthewaytheygenerateitmattersfortheroleofresearchin
worker-driveninnovation:Forumparticipantsinsistedonknowledgegenerationwithworkersrather
thanaboutthem.
Academicsasalliesinworker-driveninnovation
Generatingevidenceonworkers’needsandviolationsoftheirrightshasbeenanimportantstepin
thedesignofmanyoftheinitiativesintroducedduringtheForum.Forinstance,incaseoftheAFW
Alliance,need-basedsurveysinIndia,China,Bangladesh,SriLankaandIndonesiawereusedto
developtheformulatoestimateadequatelevelsofalivingwageforAsiangarmentworkers
35
(Bhattacharjee2016).Similarly,intheprocessofunionrenewaloftheIGMetall,systematicworker
surveysbecameparticipationinstrumentsthatofferedfeedbackpossibilities(Schmalz2016).The
processleadingtotheMoUwithKiKTextilienafterthe2012Karachifactoryfirestartedwithafact-
findinginvestigation.Thisincludedasurveyoffactoryworkersonoccupationalsafetyandhealthin
thefactories(PILER2016).
Researchhasalsobeeninstrumentalasacampaignormonitoringtool.InthecaseoftheFruitofthe
Loomcampaign,e.g.,thedocumentationofviolationsofworkers’freedomofassociationinthe
company’sHonduranfactoriesbytheWorkerRightsConsortiumandtheUniversityofMichiganwas
keytoinformthepublicandputpressureonthecompany(Argueta2016).Duringourdiscussionof
theDutchcovenantsforsupplychainresponsibilityatFNV,FredPolhoutemphasisedthesignificance
ofinformationonhowcompaniesfareonlabourrightscomplianceinthecovenants’
implementationprocess.Whenhecalledontotheparticipantstokeepworkingtogetherwithboth
workerrepresentativesandresearcherstofilltheknowledgegaponlabourrightscompliancein
supplychains,EvangelinaArguetapointedoutthatconsultationaboutinvestmentdecisionswith
relevantlocalorganisationsisrequiredtopreventthatrightsviolationstakeplaceinthefirstplace.
Doingresearchwithratherthanaboutworkers
EvangelinaArgueta’sresponseindicatesthatthetermsonwhichworkersareinvolvedinknowledge
productionandthebroaderagendaforactionarekey(Sethia2016).Expostconsultationwith
workersmightjustbeatooltolegitimatecorporations’decisions.Forumparticipantscriticisedthat
datacollectionforresearchhasoftenbeenatop-downprocess,withacademicsdefiningthescope
andmethodforcollectinginformation(Sethia2016).ThierrySchaffauser,inparticular,expresseda
deepdistrusttowardsresearchthatextractsknowledgefromactivistswithoutcontributingtotheir
movement.Hedeclared:“Wedon’twanttoberesearched.Researcherscomewithquestionnaires,
whichareuselessforus.Sometimes,theyareevenusedagainstus.Theystudypeople,fromthe
questionsyouseethatthisisnotgoingveryfar.”LucasBenitezemphasisedhowthemostimportant
thingincollaborationwithacademicsisthattheydonotimposetheirideasonworkers’initiatives.
Rather,workers’shouldbeinthedriver’sseat.
Suchworker-drivenresearchdoesresearchwithworkersinsteadofaboutthem.Insteadof
attemptingtobe‘neutral’observers,forThierrySchaffauser,respectandsupportforthelabour
movementshouldformstartingpointsforcollaboratingresearchers.Examplesforsuchalternative
formsofcollaborationmentionedduringtheForumincludedthecomplementaryroleofLucas
Benitez’owntestimonyandsupportiveresearchfindingspresentedbyjournalistandauthorEric
36
SchlosserduringaUSSenatehearingonfarmworkerexploitation.KarinAstridSiegmannsharedhow
herISScolleagueHelenHintjensandherselftrainedundocumentedmigrantworkerstoconducta
studyonundocumentedpeople’saccesstohealthcareinTheNetherlands.Throughthatapproach,
the‘researched’becameresearchersthroughallstagesoftheprocess(BiekartandSiegmann2016:
239).Inhindsight,forMyrtleWitbooi,theForumitselfembodiedamomentofanalternative
university:oneinwhichthereisdialoguewithandextensivelearningfromtheexperiencesof
informalworkersaswellasjointreflectionhowworkers’strategiescouldbemoreeffective(Witbooi
andSiegmann2016).Moregenerally,however,inherreflectionsontheForum,ShikhaSethia
(2016),raisescriticalquestionsaboutthepossibilityofacademicspacesthataremoreinclusiveof
workers’movements:“Towhatextentdoesacademiaallowworkersthemselvestosettheterms,
e.g.identifytheresearchquestionsandmethodsandvalidatethefindings?”
OneoftheworkinggroupsontheForum’sconcludingdaybrainstormedonresearchgapsthat
informalworkers’movementsperceive.Thegapstheyidentifiedinclude,e.g.,studiesaboutthe
needsofworkerswhowanttojoinunions,thatinvestigatethepossibilitiesofsocialsecurity
provisions-suchaspensions,socialinsurance,maternitybenefits-forinformalworkersorwhich
identifythepracticalrelevanceoftheDomesticWorkConventionC189.ISSstudentswho
participatedintheForumwerekeentoensurethattheresearchtheyundertakeaspartoftheir
traininghavearealimpactforworkersandlabourmovements.Theysuggestedtoalsocommunicate
identifiedgapstofuturegenerationsofISSstudents.
6.Learningaboutworker-driveninnovation
TherearemanyanddifferentlearningsfromthreeexcitingdaysoftheForum.Anysummarywill
thereforeremainpartial.Havingsaidthat,forus,somekeylessonsincluded:
• Worker-driveninnovationhappensbothwithinandoutsidecapitalistlabourrelations.Yet,it
alwaysaimstotransformthestructuresmarginalisingworkers,basedonworkersfirst-hand
understandingofthesestructures.
• Organisingisthebasisforworkers’initiativesforchange.Buildingworkers’confidencethat
theyaresomeone,thattheyhaverights,thattheycanachievechangeisastartingpointfor
organising.
37
• Forgingcoalitionsiskeyinworker-driveninnovation.Thisisimportantespeciallyinthe
contextofaglobalisedeconomy,whereworkers’strugglesconnectotherwiseseparate
spacesofproductionandconsumption.Coalitionpartnersplayaspecificrole–often
exertingpressureascriticalcitizensandconsumers-,aimingforthesamegoalwhileceding
‘teamcaptainship’toworkersthemselves–tostayinLucasBenitez’metaphorofafootball
match.
• Enforcementmechanismsguaranteetheeffectivenessofworker-driveninnovation.While
workersshouldbetheprimarywatchdogsinmonitoring,statebacking,e.g.through
differenttypesoflegalnormscanamplifythethreatwithsanctions,shouldworkers’rights
beviolated.
• Upscalingmightbeasolutionratherthanariskfortheeffectivenessofworker-driven
innovation:Wheninitiativesthatcounterworkers’povertyandprecarityarenolonger
‘happyislands’,theycanchangethewaysocietyseesandrecognisesworkers’claimsfor
rightsandrespect.
• Finally,upscalingworker-driveninnovationthroughadaptedreplicationrequiresphysical
proximity.MeetingspacesliketheForumthereforehaveanimportantrole.KaramatAli
concludedhisevaluationoftheForumwiththankstotheISS,yet:“ThenextForumshould
gototheglobalSouth!”.
References
AmnestyInternational(2016)‘AmnestyInternationalPolicyonStateObligationstorespect,Protect
andFulfiltheHumanRightsofSexWorkers’,POL/30/4062/2016,26May2016.Availableat:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol30/4062/2016/en/[Accessed3December2016].
Anderson,B.(2010)‘Migration,ImmigrationControlandtheFashioningofPrecariousWorkers’,
Work,EmploymentandSociety24(2):300-317.
Argueta,E.(2016)‘VictoriousBattleforMinersoverGrandTransnationalsofHondurasClothingFruit
oftheLoom/Russell’.BackgroundpaperforCIRIForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationinthe
GlobalizedEconomy–LearningfromEncounters”.
38
Asbed,G.andS.Sellers(2013)‘TheFairFoodProgram:Comprehensive,VerifiableandSustainable
ChangeforFarmworkers’,UniversityofPennsylvaniaJournalofLawandSocialChange61(1):39-48.
Atzeni,M.(2016)‘Workers’DrivenInnovationsinArgentina:anOverviewofCrisisandPost-crisis
Experiences’.BackgroundpaperforCIRIForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalized
Economy–LearningfromEncounters”.
Bhattacharjee,A.(2016)‘AsianLabourBuildsaGlobalMovementforLivingWage’.Background
paperforCIRIForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalizedEconomy–Learningfrom
Encounters”.
Biekart,K.andK.A.Siegmann(2016)‘MindingtheGapbetweenActivismandAcademia–or
Bridgingit?ReflectionsonHowtoDoCivicInnovationResearch’.In:K.Biekart,W.HarcourtandP.
Knorringa(eds.),ExploringCivicInnovationforSocialandEconomicTransformation.OxonandNew
York,NY:Routledge,pp.233-250.
Biekart,K.,Harcourt,W.andP.Knorringa(2016)‘Introduction:GivingMeaningtoCivicInnovation’.
In:K.Biekart,W.HarcourtandP.Knorringa(eds.),ExploringCivicInnovationforSocialandEconomic
Transformation.OxonandNewYork,NY:Routledge,pp.1-19.
Brookes,M.(2013)'VarietiesofPowerinTransnationalLaborAlliances:AnAnalysisofWorkers’
Structural,Institutional,andCoalitionalPowerintheGlobalEconomy',LaborStudiesJournal38(3):
181-200.
Brown,G.(2013)‘TheRecordofFailureandFatalFlawsofCSRFactoryMonitoring’,ISHNJournal
(February):1-6.
Chan,C.(2016)‘ISSForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalisedEconomy”’.Background
paperforCIRIForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalizedEconomy–Learningfrom
Encounters”.
Chun,J.J.(2016)‘OrganizingAcrossDivides:UnionChallengestoPrecariousWorkinVancouver’s
PrivatizedHealthCareSector’,ProgressinDevelopmentStudies16(2):173-188.
Chun,J.J.(2008)‘TheLimitsofLaborExclusion:RedefiningthePoliticsofSplitLaborMarketsUnder
Globalization’,CriticalSociology34(3):433-452.
CoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers(CIW)(2016a)‘CIRIForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationsinthe
GlobalizedEconomy:LearningfromEncounters”’.BackgroundpaperforCIRIForumon“Worker-
drivenInnovationintheGlobalizedEconomy–LearningfromEncounters”.
39
CIW(2016b)‘TheEnforcementImperativeattheHeartofWorker-drivenSocialResponsibility…’(17
July2016).Availableat:http://www.ciw-online.org/blog/2016/07/the-enforcement-imperative/
[Accessed3December2016].
CIW(2014)‘Worker-drivenSocialResponsibility(WSR):ANewIdeaforaNewCentury’(16June
2014).Availableat:http://ciw-online.org/blog/2014/06/wsr/[Accessed3December2016].
Finnemore,M.andK.Sikkink(1998)‘InternationalNormDynamicsandPoliticalChange’,
InternationalOrganization52(4):888-917.
FairFoodStandardsCouncil(FFSC)(2016)FairFoodProgram2015AnnualReport.Sarasota,Florida:
FFSC.
Franz,M.(2010)'ThePotentialofCollectivePowerinaGlobalProductionNetwork:UNICOMEand
MetroCash&CarryinIndia',Erdkunde64(3):281-290.
GovernmentofSindh,EmployersFederationofPakistanandPakistanWorkersFederation,in
collaborationwithInternationalLabourOrganization(ILO)(2013)‘JointActionPlanforPromoting
WorkplaceSafetyandHealthinSindh’.Karachi:GovernmentofSindh.
Guthman,J.(2007)‘ThePolanyianWay?VoluntaryFoodLabelsasNeoliberalGovernance’,Antipode
39(3):456-478.
InternationalLabourOrganization(ILO)(2013)DomesticWorkersAcrosstheWorld:Globaland
RegionalStatisticsandtheExtentofLegalProtection.Geneva:ILO.
Keck,M.E.andK.Sikkink(1999)‘TransnationalAdvocacyNetworksinInternationalandRegional
Politics’,InternationalSocialScienceJournal51(159):89-101.
Merk,J.(2009)‘JumpingScaleandBridgingSpaceintheEraofCorporateSocialResponsibility:cross-
borderlabourstrugglesintheglobalgarmentindustry’,ThirdWorldQuarterly30(3):599-615.
Oliveri,F.(2015)‘ANetworkofResistancesagainstaMultipleCrisis:SOSRosarnoandthe
experimentationofsocio-economicalternativemodels’,PArtecipazioneeCOnflitto8(2):2015,504-
529.
Pape,K.(2016)‘ILOConventionC189–AGoodStartfortheProtectionofDomesticWorkers:An
Insider’sView’,ProgressinDevelopmentStudies16(2):189-202.
PakistanInstituteofLabourEducationandResearch(PILER)(2016)‘Worker-drivenInitiative:KiK-
PILERAgreementonCompensation’.BackgroundpaperforCIRIForumon“Worker-driven
InnovationintheGlobalizedEconomy–LearningfromEncounters”.
40
Sanders,T.andK.Hardy(2013)‘SexWork:TheUltimatePrecariousWork?’,CriminalJusticeMatters
93(1):16-17.
Schaffauser,T.(2015)‘SexWorkers’Struggles:TradeUnionsmustacceptWorkers’Realities’,Global
LabourColumnNumber223,December2015.
Schmalz,S.(2016)‘TheComebackofIGMetall:InnovativeStrategiesofOrganizing’.Background
paperforCIRIForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationintheGlobalizedEconomy–Learningfrom
Encounters”.
Sethia,S.(2016)‘WhatRoleforStudentsinWorkers’Movements?ThoughtsontheCIRIForumon
Worker-drivenInnovation’,DevIssues18(2)November2016.Availableat:
https://issuu.com/devissues/docs/devissues_18_2_winter_2016_web[Accessed3December2016].
Siegmann,K.A.(2015)‘ReflectionsontheFairFoodAgreementBetweentheCoalitionofImmokalee
WorkersandRetailMultinationalAhold’,GlobalLabourColumnNumber210,August2015.
Siegmann,K.A.andF.Schiphorst(2016)‘UnderstandingtheGlobalizingPrecariat:FromInformal
SectortoPrecariousWork’,ProgressinDevelopmentStudies16(2):111-123.
Siegmann,K.A.,Merk,J.J.S.andKnorringa,P.(forthcoming)‘PositiveClassCompromiseinGlobalized
Production?TheFreedomofAssociationProtocolintheIndonesianSportswearIndustry’,
InternationalLabourReview.Availableat:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ilr.12036/full
[Accessed3December2016].
Siegmann,K.A.,Merk,J.andP.Knorringa(2016)‘CivicInnovationinValueChains:TowardsWorkers
asAgentsinNon-governmentalLabourRegulation’.In:K.Biekart,W.HarcourtandP.Knorringa
(eds.)ExploringCivicInnovationforSocialandEconomicTransformation.OxonandNewYork,NY:
Routledge,pp.109-131.
Siegmann,K.A.,Merk,J.andP.Knorringa(2014a)‘VoluntaryInitiativesinGlobalValueChains:
TowardsLabour-ledSocialUpgrading’,CIRIWorkingPaper4(May2014),TheHague:ISS.
Siegmann,K.A.,Merk,J.andP.Knorringa(2014b)‘PuttingWorkers’AgencyattheCentreinthe
IndonesianSportswearIndustry’,GlobalLabourColumnNumber169,May2014.
SOSRosarnoandManieTerra(2016)‘Froma“GoodPractice”toSocialProcess,fromSolidarity
EconomytoWorkers’Economy’.BackgroundpaperforCIRIForumon“Worker-drivenInnovationin
theGlobalizedEconomy–LearningfromEncounters”.
41
Tattersall,A.(2010)PowerinCoalition:StrategiesforStrongUnionsandSocialChange.Ithaca,NY:
CornellUniversityPress.
Witbooi,M.andK.A.Siegmann(2016)‘UpscalingRightsandRespectforDomesticWorkers:Yes,this
isWhatWehaveDone:InterviewwithMyrtleWitbooi,PresidentoftheInternationalDomestic
WorkersFederation’,DevIssues18(2)November2016.Availableat:
https://issuu.com/devissues/docs/devissues_18_2_winter_2016_web[Accessed3December2016].
Wright,E.O.(2000)‘Working-ClassPower,Capitalist-ClassInterestandClassCompromise’,
AmericanJournalofSociology105(4):957-1002.
42
Annexure
Annex1:Listofexternalinvitees,speakersandorganisers
ExternalInvitees
Name Organisation Country E-mailaddress
Anannya
BhattacharjeeAsiaFloorWageAlliance India anannya48@gmail.com
ChrisKing-ChiChan CityUniversityofHongKong
People's
Republicof
China
kccchan@cityu.edu.hk
EvangelinaArguetaCentralGeneraldeTrabajadores
(CGT)HondurasHonduras cgtmaquila@gmail.com
JeroenMerk ISS Netherlands j.j.s.merk@gmail.com
KaramatAliPakistanInstituteofLabour
EducationandResearch(PILER)Pakistan karamatorama@gmail.com
LucasBenitezCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers
(CIW)USA lucas@ciw-online.org
MaurizioAtzeni
CentreforLabourRelations,
NationalResearchCouncilof
Argentina
Argentina matzeniwork@gmail.com
MohamedRassoulou
(Lamine)NiangManieTerra Italy lamineniang@gmail.com
MyrtleWitbooiInternationalDomesticWorkers
Federation(IDWF)SouthAfrica myrtlewitbooi@gmail.com
NataliRodriguezCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers
(CIW)USA natali@sfalliance.org
43
Name Organisation Country E-mailaddress
SandraClaassen FairWork Netherlands s.claassen@fairwork.nu
SannevanderWalSOMO(CentreforResearchon
MultinationalCorporations)Netherlands S.van.der.Wal@somo.nl
StefanSchmalz UniversityofJena Germany s.schmalz@uni-jena.de
ThierrySchaffauser
InternationalCommitteeonthe
RightsofSexWorkersinEurope
(ICRSE)
Francesexworkeractivist@gmail.co
m
Speakers
Name Organisation Country E-mailaddress
KarenBrouwer MondiaalFNV Netherlands karen.brouwer@fnv.nl
AnneWijers FNV Netherlands anne.wijers@fnv.nl
FredPolhout FNV Netherlands fred.polhout@fnv.nl
NaïmaelMoussati FNV Netherlands naima.elmoussati@fnv.nl
Organisers
Name Organisation Country E-mailaddress
KarinAstrid
SiegmannISS Netherlands siegmann@iss.nl
GiulioIocco ISS Netherlands giulioiocco@gmail.com
ShikhaSethia ISS Netherlands s.sethia@gmail.com
DanieleRossi-Doria ISS Netherlands rossidoria@iss.nl
RaulFernandez
BarrigasISS Netherlands 439965rf@student.eur.nl
44
Annex2:Forumprogramme
13June:Learningfromexamples–dialoguesaboutworker-driveninnovations
Objectives:
1. mutualintroductionsparticipants&introductionCIRI
2. introduction&discussionworker-driveninnovations&analyticalapproachestothem,
focussingonkeyquestionslistedabove,inorderto
3. inspiremutuallearningonthe‘how’ofworker-driveninnovation
Location:ISSAttic
8.30hrsRegistration(ShikhaSethia)
9.00hrsWelcome(KarinAstridSiegmann)
9.15hrsOpening(PeterKnorringa)
9.30hrsIce-breaker(GiulioIocco)
10.00hrs‘Worker-driven’experimentinparticipatoryvideotaping(DoroteaPace)
10.15hrsIntroductionsinnovationsthroughWorldCafé(round1)(KarinAstridSiegmann)
11.00hrsCoffee/teabreak
11.15hrsIntroductionsinnovationsthroughWorldCafé(rounds2&3)(GiulioIocco&KarinAstrid
Siegmann)
12.45hrsLunch
13.45hrsConnectingparticipantswithISSstudents(ShikhaSethia)
14.00hrsLogistics(SanneHuesken)
14.15hrs‘Fishbowl’discussion:Howcanupscalingofworker-driveninnovationbeachieved?
15.45hrsCoffee/teabreak
Location:ISSAtrium
16.30hrsCIRIbookcelebration“ExploringCivicInnovationforSocialandEconomicTransformation”
(WendyHarcourt)
45
18.00hrsdrinksinISSButterflyBar
19.15hrsDepartureforthebeach
20.00hrsDinneratthebeach(DeKwartel,Zuiderstrand7-Slag9,2566SBDenHaag)
14June:Learningfromexperiences–fieldvisits
Objectives:
1. Learningaboutworker-driveninnovationbydiscussingconcreteexamples
2. Bonding
9.00hrsDepartureforfieldvisit(FNV,Naritaweg10,1043BXAmsterdam)
10.30hrsFNVonsector-widecovenants(FredPolhout)
12.30hrsLunch
14.00hrsIntroductionMondiaalFNV(KarenBrouwer)
14.30hrsCampaign‘Young&United’forabolitionofyouthminimumwageintheNetherlands(Anne
Wijers)
15.30hrsSchipholairportcampaign(NaïmaelMoussati)
16.30hrsDepartureforTheHague
19.30hrsDinner
15June:Learningfromencounters–waysforwardregardingworker-driveninnovation
Objectives:
1. discussing&planningformsoffuturecollaborationindifferentways(wholegroup/sub-
groups)
Location:ISSAttic
9.00hrsDe-briefing:WhathavewetakenfromthefieldvisitatFNV?
9.45hrsParticipatoryagenda-setting(KarinAstridSiegmann&GiulioIocco)
10.45hrsCoffee/teabreak
46
11.00Groupsaroundprioritiesidentifiedduringagenda-setting
12.00‘Harvest’groups
13.00hrsLunch
14.00hrsMeet&GreetTreeconnectingparticipantswithISSstudents(ShikhaSethia)
15.00hrsIdeasforwayforward(KarinAstridSiegmann&GiulioIocco)
16.00hrsEvaluation(FreekSchiphorst)
17.00hrsClosure(KarinAstridSiegmann&GiulioIocco)
17.30hrsFarewelldrinksinISSButterflyBar