Students campaigning to join the Workers Rights Consortium
Workers in a Cambodian garment factory
Image © One World Action, ‘Decent Work?’ report
Joining the Worker Rights Consortium
When a college or university decides to affiliate with the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), this affiliation is expressed in the form of a letter from the university’s President or Chancellor to the WRC. Some universities have used the WRC’s Model Letter in making their statement of affiliation. Of course, universities are free to use whatever language they consider to be appropriate.
The only criteria are that the letter clearly state the institution’s decision to affiliate and its recognition of the three obligations of affiliation:
- Maintaining a manufacturing Code of Conduct
- Providing the WRC with factory disclosure information
- Paying affiliation fees
The fees are £1000 per year, or 1% of garment sales turn over, whichever is greatest. For the only organisation that actually monitors corporate behaviour in the garment industry, and then mediates with companies and issues reports for universities to act on if necessary, this is a bargain!
For full details on the affiliation process visit the Worker Rights Consortium’s affiliation pages
Does the Student Union, which sells garments, have to pay to join too?
We think that the university should bear most of the cost of affiliation, as universities have much bigger resources than student unions, and universities tend to pay any costs associated with Fairtrade Status. Student union procurement is already very progressive and they have a range of ethical and environmental criteria if they procure through NUS Services. However, we think the student union should agree to affiliate at the same time as the university, and pay a commensurate amount, i.e. an amount that is equivalent to the smaller amount they purchase, and their smaller resources.
Student unions are great places to work with to show student support for joining the WRC, and you can do this with a student union motion that shows how committed students are to high standards of worker rights in their supply chains.
