About this site

This website focuses on issues regarding social protection in Asia and the activities done by the Network on Social Protection Rights (INSP!R) and its members. It is under the editorial oversight from the Asia Steering Committee, composed out of members from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Indonesia and Philippines. It is meant to foster dialogue and share experiences.
The articles describe challenges and achievements to improve the right to social protection to workers in the region, with a specific focus to gender, youth and informal workers.

30 May 2016

The 105th International Labour Conference gets underway

The 105th International Labour Conference gets underway in Geneva, Switzerland from 30 May to 10 June. This year's session brings together over 4,000 delegates from around the globe to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world of work today. Youth employment, global supply chains and decent work in fragile states will all be high on the agenda.


On behalf of WSM, Bart Verstraeten will attend among others. Together with Bart Vannetelbosch (Central Supply and Services) and several of our partners we are going to the Commission to examine how to ensure decent work in global supply chains. We all know the challenges of the supply chain: the workers in the textile sector who receive poor wages or lose their jobs when they are pregnant; workers in the free trade zones that can not organize or become members of trade unions; miners without contracts, without social protection.

This commission has the mandate to conduct a general debate, that is to say:
- To gather the views of the ILO tripartite stakeholders;
- Determine a new mandate for the ILO in this area.

Fortunately, we had the opportunity to prepare with our partners in the international seminar organized by KSBSI and ACV-CSC in Jakarta in late April. At the end of our seminar, we adopted a final document which comprises our claims (here). Some of these claims will be the basis of our advocacy in the coming days.

And when we say "our" advocacy, we refer to our great delegation. With ACV-CSC colleagues, IYCW, WSM, CCC, KSBSI, CLTM Indonesia and Mauritania, and other colleagues and partners who are coming, hopefully we can influence discussions.

04 May 2016

SAARC delegates for collective bargaining on labour migration

The WSM partners from South Asia have been advocating a joint position on labour migration, also through SARTUC, to get a collective bargaining on labour migration. Some progress is being made, as the Nepali newspaper My Republica reported this today:
With the aim of raising collective issues pertaining to labor migration and forming a common labor law to protect the rights of migrant workers from the region, officials from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have gathered in Kathmandu for the first time.

The government officials of the SAARC-member states and various stakeholders aim to set up a regional-level mechanism in order to assist in dealing with major labor migration issues.
Nepal had formulated a draft for setting up such mechanism after the 18th SAARC Summit that was held in Kathmandu. The member states of the SAARC during the summit had agreed to collaborate and cooperate for proper management of labor migration from South Asia.

03 May 2016

Clean Clothes Campaign puts out fires at H&M shop in Belgium

Foto: Jürgen Doom
Terwijl de aandeelhouders van H&M vandaag verzamelen in Stockholm, roept de Schone Kleren Campagne het bedrijf op om meer vaart te zetten achter de noodzakelijke renovaties in de fabrieken in Bangladesh die H&M bevoorraden. Activisten van de Schone Kleren Campagne voerden een veiligheidscontrole uit in het H&M-filiaal in Leuven en overhandigden een brandblusapparaat aan het management. Gelijkaardige acties gebeurden in 27 steden wereldwijd.

Drie jaar nadat H&M als eerste bedrijf het Bangladesh Akkoord voor gebouw- en brandveiligheid ondertekende, staan bijna al hun leveranciers achter op schema om renovaties uit te voeren. De internationale Schone Kleren Campagne en drie andere ngo’s hebben gisteren een update gepubliceerd van een eerder rapport  over de vertraging in de veiligheidsrenovaties bij 32 van H&M’s strategische Bengaalse leveranciers. Ook de vooruitgang bij 22 bijkomende strategische leveranciers werd onderzocht.

Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat bij 70% van hun 54 strategische leveranciers, nog niet alle branddeuren geïnstalleerd werden die een veilige uitweg garanderen aan werknemers in geval van brand. Daardoor kan een brand catastrofale gevolgen hebben, zoals de brand bij Garib & Garib zes jaar geleden, waarbij 21 werknemers die kleren stikten voor H&M omkwamen. Dat percentage is zelfs hoger dan bij de vorige update in januari, omdat sindsdien nog meer deadlines verstreken zijn. Andere renovaties werden afgekeurd door de inspecteurs van het Akkoord.