THE IMPORTANCE OF VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT OF THE LABOR LAWS
Practically all countries have labor laws addressing such core issues as
* minimum wages and overtime;
* maximum working hours and days off;
* benefits and social security;
* health and safety; and
* freedom of association.
The vigorous enforcement of these laws is the best guarantee that workers will be
treated legally and fairly. However, only governments can enforce these laws
. While private companies such as retailers can attempt to ensure that their suppliers
comply with labor standards, they cannot substitute themselves for enforcement activity
by governments.
Some people have argued that private companies can enforce the labor laws. They overlook
a number of key points, though:
* Private companies do not have the resources or expertise that governments posses
in enforcing laws.
* Private companies do not have subpoena and investigatory powers.
* Private companies can not impose civil and criminal penalties on violators of labor
standards.
In the United States, responsibility for enforcing the labor laws lies with the U.S. Department of Labor
, as well as with state and local labor departments. As well as overall labor law enforcement
, the department has started a special initiative to eliminate sweatshops in the garment industry
, an initiative which American retailers have supported fully. Retailers work closely
with the Department of Labor by sharing information with it, and by encouraging their
suppliers to cooperate with the department in resolving possible violations. Cooperation
between private companies and the Department of Labor is an essential component of
the department's enforcement efforts. Similarly, retailers cooperate with the labor authorities of other countries
in which their suppliers are located to assist those authorities in enforcing local
labor laws. International organizations, especially the International Labour Organization
, are active in the field, and there have been calls for the World Trade Organization
to address the issue of international labor standards as well.
Of course, some countries have more experience and resources available for the enforcement
of labor laws than others. America's retailers support the efforts of the U.S. Department
of Labor to provide technical assistance to countries such as Haiti
and Cambodia
in the development, administration, and enforcement of their labor laws. In addition,
some retailers are considering ways to work with governments directly to improve
their enforcement capabilities.
[http://liberty.direct.at]�[[email protected]]
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