1994
Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA) National Outwork Information Campaign was launched.
Information in 12 languages was distributed to Outworkers and Employers.
A Multilingual Outwork Phone-in was conducted over 2 months, together with National Outwork Information Seminars. This was achieved through extensive ethnic radio and press advertising, and by raising the profile of the issue in the mainstream media.
Information was distributed to the general community and within the TCF industry.
1995
The report by the TCFUA The Hidden Cost of Fashion was released which documents the work environment of homebased outworkers and the extent of outwork in the industry.
A list of labels outworkers reported sewing for below award pay was tabled in Federal Parliament and this was followed by a Senate Inquiry into Outwork in the Garment industry initiated by the Australian Democrats.
The Labor Federal Budget announced new funding to assist outworkers through a TCFUA campaign.
In September Target Australia signed an ethical agreement called a "Deed of Co-operation" with the TCFUA. The Target agreement was launched.
The Federal Government announced a Social Security Amnesty for Outworkers to be conducted from December 1995 to April 1996.
In November Ken Done signed an Ethical Agreement with the TCFUA and the union approached all major retailers to enter into similar agreements to the target one but received no response.
Continued media exposure of the issue. Greater emphasis on Australian made - means exploited labour has ensured that the issue increased its profile and received greater community understanding and support.
1996
The TCFUA new National Outwork Information Campaign was launched, but the new Coalition Government axed the outwork campaign and withdrew the funds as one of their first acts against unions. The money remains unspent.
The Senate inquiry into outwork began, receiving hundreds of submissions and Senators visited outworker's homes in Sydney and Melbourne. The Senate Hansards recorded documentation including a list of 146 clothing labels submitted to the inquiry as well as extensive case studies of the outworkers situation. Submissions from employer organisations for the first time acknowledged the outwork issue and made public their opinions and proposals to the Senate.
In April a program of A Current Affair talked about children working in the clothing industry. A detailed 4 Corners program on outwork in the garment industry provided further impetus for companies to consider if it was worth getting bad publicity on this issue.
Australia Post and Country Road signed Agreements with the TCFUA following media exposure linking their names with exploitation.
The final Senate hearing was conducted in June, at which the Textile Fashion Industry of Australia (TFIA) put to the Senate a proposal for an outwork industry code of practice.
The Senate Inquiry into the federal Workplace Relations Bill was held and the TCFUA and community group submissions highlighted issues for outworkers and migrant women, which emphasised how outworkers would be affected.
The Fair Wear Campaign was established and contacts were made in each state.
TCFUA began negotiations with TFIA re details of a Code of Practice. The TCFUA then approached individual retailers to ask them to state their intentions regarding ending exploitation and entering into the Code negotiations.
The ACTU approached major retailers in regard to entering into the Code negotiations.
TCFUA and TFIA meet with the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).
The TCFUA presented a legal framework for the Code of Practice which the manufacturers (the TFIA) rejected. They did not want a legally binding code and stated their support for a voluntary self regulatory code.
The ARA then entered the negotiations on the Homework Code of Practice and agreed to the Retailers Part 1 Statement of Principles, while the manufacturers agree to their section, Part 2 of the Code.
While plans for the launch of the Homeworker of Practice had begun the ARA withdrew their support for the code agreed to by all parties.
The TCFUA approached all major retailers to get individual companies to sign the code.
Retailers such as Coles Myer, Diamaru and Fletcher Jones stated they would sign the code but later pulled out, not wanting to break ranks within the ARA.
The TFIA refused to sign the code unless major retailers signed; though retailers Just Jeans and Witchery did sign the Code.
The TCFUA began actions outside key stores in Melbourne and Sydney and was then joined by Fair Wear members.
In November, the Retailers (ARA) presented their new watered down version of a code - the 'Homeworkers Code of Practice'. (It is confusing because it has the same name as the original code). In the meantime the ARA received thousands of signatures on petitions demanding that they sign the code originally agreed to and not the watered - down version.
In December the Fair Wear Campaigned was launched, a Fair Wear brochure distributed and a number of joint actions (Fair Wear and TCFUA) were held outside Myers and other retail outlets in Melbourne and Sydney.
The Senate released its findings on the Outwork inquiry and still no retailers or manufacturers had signed the code they had all happily negotiated and agreed to.
1997
The Federal Workplace Relations Act was passed including outwork as one of the 20 allowable matters. While outwork inclusion is significant, the act as a whole considerably eroded awards, the unions ability to monitor award breaches and union to access workplaces to find out if workers are receiving their legal wages and conditions.
Fair Wear further established networks in each state and began joint actions with the TCFUA against targeted retailers, as part of a campaign to get the Code of Practice in place.
The Fair Wear Action Kit is launched in Sydney by Faye Lo Po, NSW Minister for Women and Fair Trading. Extenisve media coverage is given.
Thousands of supporters across Australia send letters to Coles Myer and other major companies requesting they sign the Homeworkers Code of Practice.
TCFUA begins a new strategy of working with other key unions to raise their members awareness as consumers and to encourage them to be involved in the campaign.
Legal actions against manufacturing companies using contractors, for breaches of the award in relation to outwork, are initiated in NSW and Victoria by the TCFUA.
Fair Wear launches the Shops of Shame Campaign at a Sportsgirl store in Pitt St Mall Sydney.
Fair Wear campaign member groups do training in non violent direct action in Melbourne. From the training an action arm of the campaign is established to have creative, well planned actions and further develop the campaign's strategies to get retailers and manufacturers to sign the code.
Fair Wear affiliated groups start campaigns in their own organisations. These include kits, how to run a campaign, protest actions, letter writing, articles in newspapers and policies within their organisation.
The retailers' organisation (ARA) send a new code proposal to the TCFUA.
The Manufacturers Employer organisations: the Australian Chamber of Manufacturers (ACM), the Textile Fashion Industry of Australia (TFIA) and the Australian Business Council (ABC) send a new code proposal to the TCFUA. They are starting to feel the pressure.
The Shops of Shame campaign continues in each state. On the eve of big action at Sportsgirl Melbourne, Sportsgirl Sportscraft sign the Homeworkers Code. The company sign the retailers and manufacturers parts of the Code. It is hailed as the breakthrough the campaign needed and celebrated as a victory outside Sportsgirl instead of the planned protest action.
On the eve of big action planned at a Myer store in Melbourne the ARA sign the Homeworkers Code negotiated with the TCFUA on the condition that the Myer protest does not go ahead. The protest is then moved to a Westco store and Westco signs the Code a week later.
The Homeworkers Code of Practice agreed between the ARA and the TCFUA includes the ARA signing on behalf of their members who agree to be party to the Code together with a process of monitoring. On the day of signing a number of the largest retailers in Australia were named by the ARA as being signatories to the Code.
The new manufacturers code proposed by the TFIA, ACM & ABC is rejected outright by the TCFUA. The 'alternative' Code fails to provide transparency from the manufacturer to the outworker and does not ensure fair wages down the contracting chain.
The TCF Tariff Campaign is successful with a decision by the Federal government for a pause on tariff reductions until 2005. The Federal Labor opposition has supported TCF companies in the pause on tariff reductions on the basis of a number of points including signing the Homeworkers Code of Practice.
Negotiations between the TCFUA and manufacturer/employer organisations fail to reach any agreement in discussions on the original Code. The minister for Industrial Relations Peter Reith is supporting the employer groups in their alternative code.
The Government response to the Senate Economics Committee Inquiry into Outwork in the Garment industry is released in September.
The Fair Wear Sweat Shop of Shame Campaign is announced. The intention is to target Manufacturers, Wholesalers and Fashion Houses to sign the Homeworkers Code of Practice. Protest actions, letter writing and public awareness strategies are targeted at particular companies.
Senate Econommics Committee are expected to conduct a 12 month review of their findings in the Inquiry into Outworking, including key recommendations such as the Code of Practice, the ratification of the ILO Homework Convention, resources to outwork rights information and other points.
These events have been underpinned by the union's ongoing representation, advocacy, meeting and organising
with homeworkers. Homeworkers have been consulted as often as possible about the actions being taken and the
directions of these actions. Homeworkers involvement has been active in providing information and label names,
and by taking industrial action or being involved in talking to the media or other bodies.
Media liaison highlighting the issues which affect homeworkers, together with involvement by
community organisations, and individual support and action have all been the essential elements to
where we have got to today.
The reality is that in almost three years down the track there has not been any significant change
in the rates of pay homeworkers are receiving. This is the challenge of this year and the future - to
translate our actions into real change for homeworkers.
