that organizes the conference

Factory conditions in Asia become buyers' problem
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Sept. 3 () -- Increased scrutiny is forcing Western importers to become involved in factory conditions in Asia, worker advocates in Cambodia said. After two workers died at a footwear factory in Cambodia in May -- an event that followed a building collapse in Bangladesh that killed more than 1,100 workers -- the media has been increasing its attention on issues of worker conditions, which has put pressure on Western importers, said David Welsh, director of the Solidarity Center/ACILS in advance of a semi-annual buyers convention in Phnom Penh."Generally, Western media paying attention to working conditions puts the pressure on them," said Welsh, who also said, "unlike other years, there are more people watching."Western companies "can't turn a blind eye and pretend they don't know what's going on anymore," Welsh said.The Phnom Penh Post reported Tuesday that a industry representatives gathered for the conference expect to discuss industry issues involving Cambodia on Wednesday and on Vietnam on Thursday.Jill Tucker, chief technical adviser for the International Labor Organization's Better Factories Cambodia program said the watchdog group, BFC, that organizes the conference,[url=http://www.supratksocietyvip.com/]cheap supra shoes[/url], is expected to make some changes of its own.BFC is considering making reports concerning factory safety public, Tucker said. Currently,[url=http://www.tinfoti.com]Cheap Christian Louboutin[/url], they are purchased by involved companies, the newspaper said."We believe there is an even greater impetus now to manage health and safety issues in the supply chain," said Johannes Hackstette, a spokesperson for Puma, in an email.The Post reported that the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union expects to have time with industry representatives during the conference and have written a list of demands to present."This year will be more interesting than the other years," said CCAWDU vice president Kong Athit. "In the past, we were only pushing the producers. We have to be more forceful with the buyers rather than [factory] owners," Athit said.

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