(Viewsexpressed in this article are the personal opinion of the author.)


Asurvey of the Textile and Fashion Industry of India or even the Globe, wouldclearly point out the extent and use of numerous labels. As educated customers,we feel it is mandatory to have many labels sticking out of our dresses,undergarments, shirts, socks, cushion covers, carpets, and you-name-it textileproducts. These labels should ideally make us aware of the fiber content(natural, man-made or blends / if blends then what percentage of each of theconstituent fibers), Wash Care Instructions (wash in what temperature of water,dry where, iron / bleach or not/ dry clean or not/ will it bleed color, and soon), Size Labels (small, medium, large, extra large / or sizes in numbers) andthe like. The manufacturers of these textile / clothing / fashion Industry,duly cater to our demands for these labels. But what about Social labels?


Dontyou think that time has come when as conscious consumers we need to stress onSocial labels? Though social labelling has been going on for some time now, atleast majority of the upcoming Indian Fashion Industry chooses to remainblissfully unaware of the fact. The purpose of this Paper is to bring tolight the factors that constitute social labelling, and Ethical Fashion, whichis a serious concern globally. As an upcoming Fashion Destination, India shouldseriously adapt the practice of social labeling.


Sociallabelling is an initiative introduced in the nineties with a view toeliminating the exploitation of Child Labour in Carpet Production in India.Impact of Social Labelling on Child Labour in Carpet Industry, Alakh N. Sharma,Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 37, No. 52 (Dec. 28, 2002 - Jan. 3, 2003),pp. 5196-5204, URL: www.jstor.org/stable.


Afew years ago, the former ILO Director-General Michel Hansenne, proposed tointroduce a global social label. Globalization, the liberalization of trade andthe social clause, were his key concerns. On 18 June 1998, the InternationalLabour Conference adopted the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles andRights at Work, which states that, by virtue of their membership, all ILOMember States have an obligation to respect, promote and realize the principlesunderlying fundamental worker's rights, even if they have not ratified the coreILO Conventions.


Theproposal for a global social label was very controversial and was arguablycriticized by the third world countries. There was a fear of hiddenprotectionism and barriers of trade, particularly against developing countries.India's workers delegation stated that "We are opposed to the system of a'global social label' to be awarded to 'countries which show comprehensiverespect for fundamental rights and principles, and agree to submit to reliableand legally autonomous international inspections.'


 

Various Fair trade labelling organizations have come together for the same purpose e.g. Max Havelaar. Their main aim is to ensure increased awareness and salability for fair trade products as opposed to conventional ones. They are ever attempting for a harmonious triple bottom-line approach, i.e. to combine social, environmental and economic considerations. A plethora of eco labels has also come up; here the main concern is the ecological balance. Products that are biodegradable or recyclable, claiming sustainability and green design have many national and international initiatives, but social labelling is yet to achieve that status, though many ongoing efforts are being made in the area.


For governments trying to sustain exports, the threat is also serious, in that a scandal over child labor can prompt all major brands to move production elsewhere, leaving local subcontractors reeling, including subcontractors who have tried hard to meet high standards. The Indian governments current proposal comes in response to this kind of threat. Instead of letting a few bad apples taint a region, certification programs and social labels could identify those local production facilities that meet global standards, and reduce the risk that a single scandal will shut down exports for everyone. Gay Seidman writes in, India in Transition -Social Labeling in Export Supply Chains: Can Voluntary Certification Programs End Child Labor?


Social labeling is quite an uphill task as it has to take into account different levels and aspects of socially responsible behavior. Different societies have differing socially acceptable and socially responsible behaviors. There is no single system for social labelling. Certain labels address the issue of child labour while certain others address fair trade practices. Rugmark which is now Good Weave International, is a label that has addressed the issue of child labour in the carpet industry for nearly 15 years. The carpets sold with this label ensure that children below 14yrs are not used as labour and that they get proper basic education.


 

All in all Social Label is a serious issue. The Issues concerning the society need to be listed and a code needs to be constructed. Since the variables concerned are not as tangible as body measurements or fiber content, it is a suggestion that the variables should be based on the following:

  1. Manufacturing of the product involved Child labour Yes or No
  2. Product Biodegradable Yes or No
  3. Product Recyclable Yes or No
  4. Working Conditions Clean, airy and well lit rooms with the facility of toilets, clean drinking water and medical attention
  5. Proper Wages (min. Rs. X per hour)
  6. Other Environmental Concerns like air / water pollution
  7. Responsible Packaging Reusable / recyclable / bio-degradable packaging


These are just a few suggestions based on the studies of regulatory labels.


Like the Fair Trade labeling Organizations, India should have its own Social Labelling Organizations. India should have its own standards like ISI mark; there should be a mandatory Social label on all products that are fit for consumers. But of course it would be meaningless until we fight corruption. In a study regarding Ecomark, which was launched in India in 1991, it was found that the motivating factor for Indians is price and environmental concerns do not play an important role. Ecomark was thus a failure because it was not advertised effectively, it did not catch up with the public and the prices were high. (Alan 2005). In a study conducted by a masters student in the University of Addis Ababa, in 2005, she proves that consumers are willing to pay an extra price for environmental concerns. (Solomon Gebreselassie Melka 2007)


In France, launched in 2005, Fibre Citoyenne (Fiber of the citizens), is a programme designed and managed by an NGO Yamana. This programme caters to the Textile Clothing sector, people who are decision-makers public and private who use textile products and who would keep in mind the social and environmental concerns when it came to purchase or development policies. It takes into account the Study of the different social and environmental impact caused depending on the raw materials chosen, benchmarks and recommendations. It also undertakes the study of the social and environmental impact at each phase of manufacturing and recommendations on how to define the specification (requirements, limits, market capacity etc.)

 

Keeping in line with the above, it is suggested that India needs to ponder seriously over social labelling and that it should become mandatory as the wash-care instruction labels on textile / garment / fashion related products.


References:

  1. Alam, G. 2005. A Study of Eco-labels in India and the European Union and their Impact on the Export of Leather Products from India. Centre for Sustainable Development, Dehradun, India.
  2. Households willingness to pay for environmental practices: an implication of eco-Labelling for leather products in Ethiopia by Solomon Gebreselassie Melka in 2007
  3. Impact of Social Labelling on Child Labour in Carpet Industry, Alakh N. Sharma, Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 37, No. 52 (Dec. 28, 2002 -Jan. 3, 2003), pp. 51965204, URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4413016
  4. Labour Behind the Label Annual Report 2007
  5. Ethical objections to Fair trade by Peter Griffiths, Published by the Journal of Business Ethics July 2011, The final publication is available at www.springerlink.com
  6. http://www.fibrecitoyenne.org/
  7. http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm
  8. India in Transition -Social Labelling in Export Supply Chains: Can Voluntary Certification Programs End Child Labour, by Gay Siedman 2009 http://casi.ssc.upenn.edu/iit/seidman


Image Courtesy:

  1. dolceta.eu
  2. xpresalabels.com