New Governance and the Role of Public and Private Monitoring of Labor Conditions: Sweatshops and China Social Compliance for Textile and Apparel Industry/CSC9000T

By Paul Harper on January 01, 2011

Abstract:
In this article, the author analyzes the monitoring and enforcement of labor standards in China, as well as the actions of government and outside actors to strengthen the implementation of those standards. Part I analyzes implementation problems through the case of occupational safety and health (OSH) laws. While China has good OSH laws on paper, they are poorly applied because enforcing authorities accord economic prosperity priority over worker safety. In Part II, the author looks at external pressure being exerted upon China to improve enforcement of labor standards. A substantial share of the pressure comes from corporate trade groups and state actors, both of which are treated with suspicion by Chinese authorities who fear that monitoring efforts are fronts for foreign economic weapons. Finally, Part III looks at a new “integrative linkage” labor standards model for the Chinese textile and apparel industry, posited and enforced by industry, rather than the state. Entitled CSC9000T, the model is promising because it is collaborative rather than adversarial in nature. The author warns that its effectiveness will be determined by how well it implements monitoring mechanisms independent of the Chinese state.

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