Fair Wear Foundation
| Non-profit organization | |
| Industry | Verification of workplace practices |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
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Key people
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Erica van Doorn, Director Ieke van den Burg, Chair of the Board |
| Products | Sewn products, Workplace Verification, Standards Development |
| Website | fairwear.org/ |
Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) is a European multi-stakeholder initiative working to improve workplace conditions in the garment and textile industry. Governed by labor unions, NGOs and business associations, FWF verifies that its member companies implement the FWF Code of Labour Practices in their supply chains. Established in 1999, FWF in 2010 has over fifty member companies from all over Europe and is active in production countries like China, India, Bangladesh and Turkey.
To safeguard its independence as a verification initiative, FWF has a tripartite governance structure. Their governing body is a Board, which, in addition to an independent chairperson, consists of representatives from four categories: 1) business association for garment suppliers, 2) business association for garment retailers, 3) trade unions, and 4) NGOs. Each category has equal voting rights.
The board is informed by a multi-stakeholder Committee of Experts, as well as stakeholder partners in each country where FWF is active. FWF also has stakeholder platforms in European countries (i.e. Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium) that commit to the FWF Charter.
“What’s interesting about FWF is the comprehensiveness of its approach. Each aspect of the FWF systems supports the others. For example, FWF’s ongoing multi-stakeholder collaboration in both producer and consumer countries has really improved FWF’s verification processes.” – Ellen Dekkers, general secretary FNV Bondgenoten
The FWF Code of Labour Practices contains eight labour standards that are based on the conventions of the International Labour Organization(ILO) and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. The Fair Wear Code is known for its strong provisions on freedom of association, hours of work, and a living wage.
Fair Wear Foundation works on the basis of the principle of supply chain responsibility, i.e. each actor in the supply chain of a certain product is (co-)responsible for the conditions in which the product is made. A brand selling clothes in Europe is in part responsible for both the labour conditions at its suppliers and for example on the plantations, and also for the environmental impact of that product. In recent years, the notion of supply chain responsibility has become increasingly accepted, by individual companies as well as the fashion world in general.
FWF restricts its focus to those phases of production where sewing is the main manufacturing process. It is there that FWF believes it can have the greatest impact for workers. This is among the most intensive phases of the production process. It is the phase where very many labour problems are found, and where effective remedies can positively impact the lives of millions of workers.
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Wikipedia