ethical fashion

activity - Policy makers

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teacher's notes
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainability
  • Globalisation

 

5

Working for a living

1

Divide in groups of 4 and follow the information below.

 

Group members:________________________________________

 

Guiding Question:

Imagine you were a policy maker who works for the Cambodian government. Companies like H&M and Zara have been coming to your country to produce a lot of their garments. Suddenly, all these companies are taking advantage on the loose policy you have in Cambodia to protect your workers. You need to be tough on the law so your workers are protected. However you cannot be too tough or the brands will leave and find a cheaper country to produce their clothes. So, what policies do you think the Cambodia government should implement?

 

 

Of the following, which two things do you think are most important?

Labor Standards

➤ Maximum number of hours in a work day

➤ Guaranteed rest days each week

➤ Required breaks during work day

➤ Health insurance for workers

➤ Safety training and equipment

➤ No child workers

➤ No harassment or discrimination by managers

➤ Other:_____________________________

Environmental Impacts

➤ Recycle and reuse waste materials

➤ Use locally sourced materials

➤ Purchase sustainably extracted raw materials

➤ Set and enforce limits for air and water pollution

➤ Find alternatives to replace toxic materials

➤ Record and report on disposal of all wastes

➤ Create durable materials that will not break

➤ Other: __________________________

tip

 A few examples of corporate policies regarding labor and the environment include:

• Nike (www.nikebiz.com/responsibility/workers_and_factories.html)

• Gap, Inc. (www.gapinc.com/public/SocialResponsibility/socialres.shtml)

• Patagonia (www.patagonia.com/pdf/en_US/CoC_English.pdf and www.patagonia.com/web/us/footprint)

2

3

For the two most important things, write a policy statement for each.

For example: Our company is going to require any factories it works with to limit workers to a strict 50-hour work week.

Policy Statement #1: ______________________________

Policy Statement #2:______________________________

 

 

 

 

For each policy, determine its pros and cons.

 

For example: Pro—Limiting workers to a strict 50-hour work week could increase the productivity and health of workers. Con—Limiting workers to a strict 50-hour work week could increase prices for consumers.

Policy Statement #1 Pro:______________________________________________

Policy Statement #1 Con:__________________________

Policy Statement #2 Pro:__________________________

Policy Statement #2 Con:_________________________

Policy Makers

difficulty

The purpose of this workshop is to give students the power to change things. When students get put in the shoes of decision makers, they will understand what needs to be done to improve the situation of the fashion industry.

➤  Globalisation

➤  Cultural Science

➤  Current Issues

Now you've done Policy Makers Activity!

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