Contact HRF Communications
(212) 845 5245 media@humanrightsfirst.org
May 10, 2001
“Harassment of union members, forced overtime, inadequate health and safety protections and the inability of government inspectors to enforce fundamental rights are traits found not only in the El Salvadoran garment industry, but in many factories in Central America, South East Asia and China that supply clothing and shoes to the US consumer. As the Bush Administration moves to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas, the President recently claimed that opening up these markets will “provide new hope for the world's poor.” This will only happen if such negotiations are pursued in tandem with the enforcement of fundamental labor and environmental rights in the United States and abroad.
This can and must be done by
a combination of efforts, including: (1) increasing the capacity of US and local
government labor inspectors to enforce national laws; (2) strengthening trade
agreements between the US and countries such as El Salvador by directly linking
trade benefits with improvements in labor conditions; and (3) supporting
initiatives such as the Fair Labor Association which is a collective effort by
major apparel companies, human rights, consumer and religious groups, and more
than 150 universities to monitor factory conditions and remedy violations where
they are found.”