The week that was: 25 Mar 08 - 1 Apr 08
You would think that companies would have learnt their lessons when it comes to ethical sourcing, but as headline hungry editors dispatch journalists to the four corners of the globe (no such luck here I’m afraid) in search of exploited workers, it seems that some are still in need of a short sharp shock. Last week it was Tesco and this week it’s Gap-owned Banana Republic who are getting in on the act, with reports claiming that one of their suppliers is forcing staff to work 70 hour weeks for a far-from-healthy 15p an hour. The news couldn’t have come at a worse time for the company (or at a better time for those aforementioned journalists) – Banana Republic opens their first store in London this week.
Quote of the week – “It’s not easy to get a ferry. They are not sold on shelves,” the Mayor of San Fernando, Kenneth Ferguson, on why sourcing a water taxi for the new shuttle service between Trinidad’s two main cities isn’t as easy as you would think.
The Philippines is fast establishing itself as one of the world’s major offshoring hubs, but a recent report from the World Bank may make uncomfortable reading for any company looking to base their operations in the country. The Philippines has been dogged by a number of high profile corruption scandals in recent years and the World Bank, it seems, has had enough. “The issue of governance in the Philippines presents an interesting paradox,” a leaked copy of the report says. “In spite of a strong civil society presence, an open media, and highly capable individuals working in public administration, most governance indicators in the Philippines have fallen substantially over the last decade and are also lower than the average for middle income East Asian economies.” All-in-all, it’s hardly a ringing endorsement.
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