How does Fair Trade work with the union movement?
Fair Trade encourages worker representation and empowerment, regardless of how workers choose to organize. We know that between one and three percent of apparel workers worldwide are unionized. Trade union leaders in India and other pilot countries have said clearly that they support Fair Trade certification as a way to strengthen freedom of association amid such low rates of unionization in apparel. The Textile Workers Federation of India, an affiliate of ITGLWF (the international textile union) has said the pilot “has strong provisions to protect freedom of association, to educate workers about their rights, and to increase wages over time.” “Through Fair Trade, workers can begin to truly have a choice about how to be represented in the workplace and how to communicate with their employer.” Gopinath Parakuni, Cividep-India Trade unions and labor rights groups participate at multiple points in the certification process, including monitoring, worker training, living wage benchmarks, an
