ZAGREB, November 24, 2018 – The Croatian Centre for Workers’ Solidarity and the New Trade Union, speaking in Zagreb’s Cvjetni Trg square on Saturday, drew attention to poor work conditions in the garment industry as part of the “Turn Around, H&M!” campaign organised by the global network Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC).
New Trade Union leader Mario Iveković said that textile production jobs were the worst paid jobs in the world. “This industry, apart from being the least paid, is also one generating high profits at the expense of workers,” he added.
Iveković said that Croatia was a poor promoter of decent pay that would be enough to support a family of four. “The Constitution guarantees decent pay for workers so that they can support their families, and we are still talking about the minimum wage. In my opinion, this is the biggest failure of union activity because we are not even asking for honouring the Constitution,” he said.
The campaign organisers were gathering signatures to petition for more decent wages and for improving work conditions in the H&M chain. They called on citizens to sign the petition, claiming that over 130,000 signatures had already been gathered worldwide.
Clean Clothes Campaign is an international network of non-governmental organisations and trade unions fighting for workers’ rights in the garment industry. In May this year it launched the “Turn Around, H&M!” campaign against the Swedish-based global garment retailer for failing to deliver on the promise it had made five years ago that it would improve work conditions and ensure decent pay.
“At risk are 850,000 workers who produce 60 percent of H&M products. In their plants in Bulgaria, Turkey, India, Cambodia and elsewhere, workers are afraid of organising themselves in unions and management sometimes work on curbing union activity. All this leads to workers’ exploitation,” said Ana Vragolović of the Croatian Centre for Workers’ Solidarity.
During the global week of action, Clean Clothes Campaign activists in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, India, Cambodia and other countries will organise different campaigns and present their demands to H&M concerning overtime and minimum wages.
For more on Croatia’s labour relations, click here.
