Electronics Watch: Utilizar el poder de la contratación pública para lograr la mayor liquidación posible de comisiones de contratación de trabajadores/as migrantes
Written by Peter Pawlicki, Electronics Watch
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Electronics Watch |
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https://electronicswatch.org/ |
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Risk of forced labour reduced |
Overview Resumen
Electronics Watch ises anuna independentorganización monitoringindependiente organisationque providingofrece publica buyerscompradores/as withdel capabilitiessector topúblico monitorla theirposibilidad supplyde chainsmonitorear andla verifycadena compliancede withsuministros they socialverificar criteriael theycumplimiento havede setlos incriterios contractssociales forestablecidos informationen andcontratos communicationsde technologyequipos de tecnologías de información y comunicación (ICT) hardware.TIC).
TheEl Electronicsmodelo Watchde modelmonitoreo ofa worker-drivencargo monitoringde andlos/as industrytrabajadores/as engagementy hasla provenparticipación successfulde timela andindustria againha andresultado hasexitoso, developedconvirtiéndose intoen anuna internationallynorma acceptedde standardaceptación ininternacional publicen procurement.las contrataciones públicas.
InEn 2019, Electronics Watch, itssus affiliatesafiliados/as andy itssu sociedad local monitoringde partnermonitoreo werelograron ableprestar toapoyo supporta overmás 10,de 10.000 migranttrabajadores/as workersmigrantes inen ThailandTailandia topara receiveque reimbursementsrecibieran forreembolsos illegalpor recruitmentel fees.pago de comisiones ilegales de contratación.
AboutSobre theel projectproyecto
Public buyers such as universities, hospitals, counties, cities and other public institutions buy large volumes of electronic hardware such as desktop/laptop computers, servers, smartphones and printers. The underlying multi-year contracts with electronics brands enable leverage that public buyers can use to address workers’ rights and environmental concerns in their supply chains.
Compradores del sector público, entre ellos universidades, hospitales, gobiernos locales, ciudades y otras instituciones públicas compran grandes volúmenes de equipos electrónicos como ordenadores de mesa y portátiles, servidores, teléfonos inteligentes e impresoras. Los contratos subyacentes de muchos años con marcas de productos electrónicos permiten a quienes hacen compras públicas abordar los derechos de trabajadores y trabajadoras y las preocupaciones ambientales en sus cadenas de suministro.
Electronics Watch ises auna networkred ofde monitoringsocios/as partnersde andmonitoreo ofy morede thanmás de 330 publiccompradores/as buyersdel insector Europe.público Monitoringde partnersEuropa. areQuienes monitorean son organizaciones de sociedad civil societyque organisations,se locatedencuentran nearcerca workers’de communitieslas incomunidades productionde regions,trabajadores/as whoen uselas theregiones worker-drivendonde methodologyse torealiza monitorla forproducción laboury rightsque risksutilizan anduna violationsmetodología inimpulsada factories.por Basedlos/as ontrabajadores/as theirpara reports,supervisar riesgos y violaciones de los derechos laborales en las fábricas e industrias. A partir de sus informes, Electronics Watch engagestrabaja withjunto thecon brandlas companies,marcas, manufacturersfabricantes andy thela industryasociación associationindustrial Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) topara worksuperar towardslos remedyingriesgos they riskssubsanar and violations that are found.violaciones.
InEn the2020, areasólo ofen monitoringel andárea supplydel chainmonitoreo transparencyy alone,la intransparencia 2020de la cadena de suministro, Electronics Watch:Watch concretó estas acciones:
ConductedRealizó una investigación de la cadena de suministro de las principales industrias fabricantes de equipamiento original, incluyendo a
supply chain screening of major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) covering71suppliers.proveedores.PublishedPublicó una evaluación de riesgo regional de Vietnam.
Evaluó el riesgo en diez fábricas.
Documentó y respondió a regionallas riskquejas assessmentde oftrabajadores/as Vietnam.por vulneración de derechos en cinco fábricas.
Llevó ina 10cabo factories.nueve investigaciones de cumplimiento completo.
Se respondedunió toa workers’ocho rightsmarcas complaintspara inmejorar fivelas factories.condiciones.
Verificó full-compliancela investigations.
RiskRiesgo ofde forcedexplotación labourde intrabajadores/as Thailanden Tailandia
InEn 2016, theel socio de Electronics Watch monitoring partnerWatch, Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN)MWRN documenteḍ- labourla rightsRed violationsde atDerechos de Trabajadores MIgrantes) registró violaciones a los derechos de los/as trabajadores/as en Cal-Comp, Tailandia. Personas migrantes de Myanmar que habían sido subcontratadas en dos instalaciones de Cal-Comp inen Thailand.Tailandia Subcontractedestaban migranten workersriesgo fromde Myanmarser atexplotadas Cal-Comp’sa twotravés facilitiesde inla Thailandimposición werede atuna riskdeuda ofy forcedla labourretención throughde debtsus bondagedocumentos. andLa withhelddeuda documents.se Thedebía debta bondageuna wascomisión linkedexcesiva tode excessive recruitment fees.contratación.
AtEn thisese timemomento, Cal-Comp wasle suministraba impresoras, unidades de disco rígido externo y otras unidades informáticas periféricas a supplierempresas ofde printers,marcas externaltales hard disk drives and other computer peripherals to brand companies likecomo HP, Seagate andy Western Digital. AUna highbuena shareparte ofde la fuerza de trabajo de Cal-Comp’sComp workforceen inTailandia Thailandestaba werecompuesta migrantpor workerstrabajadores fromy trabajadoras migrantes de Myanmar.
Electronics Watch and MWRN documented a number of labour rights violations, including:
- Passports and other documents were taken and withheld from workers.
- Migrant workers had to pay recruitment fees and related costs to get the job with Cal-Comp. These recruitment fees were excessive and unlawful. Recruitment fees were equivalent to 30 to 90 days of workers’ wages.
Electronics Watch learned that labour agents sought to coerce workers at Cal-Comp to lie to social auditors about their recruitment fees and related expenses. These agents threatened workers that buyers would pull their orders if workers reported their full costs in upcoming audits and that workers would, consequently, face dramatically reduced overtime or even lose their jobs.
Industry engagement
The compliance report on all findings was shared with the main brand companies linked to the factories and Cal-Comp as well as the RBA. The RBA conducted independent social audits and developed corrective action plans, while MWRN and Electronics Watch monitored the impact through close communication with workers.
After more than three years of investigations, monitoring and engagement with brand companies, the manufacturer and the RBA, Electronics Watch and MWRN were able to achieve major improvements, including:
- Since 2017, migrant workers employed by Cal-Comp hold their own passports and work permits.
- In November 2019, Cal-Comp fully reimbursed at least 10,570 workers[1] in the largest single company settlement of migrant worker recruitment fees ever.
- Cal-Comp has stopped hiring migrant workers until they have developed an ethical recruitment policy to ensure that no worker pays for their job at Cal-Comp.
Conclusion
This case shows that the Electronics Watch model of worker-driven monitoring is essential to detect and address forced labour. MWRN’s rapport with workers, their everyday access to workers, and their ongoing careful recording of workers’ recruitment experiences were essential to understanding the full extent of the risks of forced labour and debt bondage that migrant workers face and to defining the full reimbursements and remediation they are owed.
Ongoing industry engagement by Electronics Watch, supported by affiliates’ communication with their suppliers, is central to remediating violations and improving working conditions.
Public procurement has strong leverage with its supply chains that it can utilise to support sustainable improvements for workers and affected communities. To be able to drive positive change, public buyers need to be able to rely on independent monitoring for verification.
References and further reading
Cal-Comp Compliance Report. https://electronicswatch.org/en/compliance-report-update-cal-comp-samut-sakorn-and-petchaburi-thailand-october-2018_2555998.pdf
Cal-Comp: A Lesson in the Importance of Worker-Driven Monitoring to End Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains. https://electronicswatch.org/cal-comp-a-lesson-in-the-importance-of-worker-driven-monitoring-to-end-forced-labour-in-global-supply-chains-february-2020_2569307.pdf
Remedy Proposal for Cal-Comp Workers. https://electronicswatch.org/en/remedy-proposal-for-cal-comp-thailand-workers-february-2019_2556087.pdf
Electronics Watch Annual Report 2020. https://electronicswatch.org/electronics-watch-annual-report-2020_2591374.pdfpdf''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Footnotes
[1] Electronics Watch. (2020, 28 February). Largest settlement of migrant worker recruitment fees in any one company - how did we get there? https://electronicswatch.org/en/largest-settlement-of-migrant-worker-recruitment-fees-in-any-one-company-how-did-we-get-there-_2569363