In countries like Indonesia, many women and men making goods for big-name brands are struggling to make ends meet.
Workers who enjoy freedom of association (freedom to form unions and negotiate with employers) have the best chance of obtaining fairer working conditions, escaping cycles of poverty and debt.
But even when countries recognise freedom of association, in practise businesses often fail to respect this right, increasing the risks of exploitation and unsafe working conditions.
To address this problem, workers and global brands in Indonesia have developed the Freedom of Association Protocol—a set of practical guidelines on how to uphold collectively bargaining rights. The Protocol has been adopted by brands including Adidas, Puma and Nike and has also won the support of Indonesian government representatives and the ILO.
Oxfam is calling on major global brands sourcing from Indonesia (including Abercrombie, Marks & Spencer, Walmart, Levi Strauss, Gap and Esprit) to support and sign the Protocol.