Oct 21, 2025
3 min read
View this page via the Business and Human Rights Resource Center
Business power as a business model: The case of the T-Shirt No Sweat project
By Jay Kerr, Campaign Manager and T-Shirt Project Manager at No Sweat
Like clothing, the industry has long argued that deep-seated labor abuses are a symptom of its own global capitalism.The idea being promoted by corporate compliance departments is that "a company's legal obligation to maximize profits is to reduce procurement requirements to zero."
In the end, our anger and frustration with this failed form did not sweat with direct challenge.This decision was approved by a consensus rejected by human rights and labor NGOs.Now, according to their reports, social audit and accreditation is described as a fundamentally failing system.
Why the current model failed
The main failings are the critical lack of transparency and accountability.Reports are not public, meaning employees and stakeholders cannot access them, failing to build trust.Furthermore, the system is plagued by inherent conflicts of interest: social audits are paid investigations and there is widespread evidence of collusion between factory management, brands and auditing firms to hide poor conditions.Even if there is no direct collusion, suppliers forced to perform audits inevitably cover up wrongdoing.Often the result is compliance rather than real change.Although wrongdoing is sometimes discovered, the continued lack of employee involvement means abuses continue.After more than 30 years of corporate social responsibility in the apparel sector, relying on external social audit firms and voluntary top-down codes of conduct, conditions still exist.This lack of true worker representation is often compounded by company-controlled unions, often referred to as "yellow unions," which, as recent analyzes such as the Business and Human Rights Resource Center's report: Worker Representation in Asia's Garment Industry have found, serve to legitimize rather than challenge poor labor practices.
Certification schemes primarily protect reputations and serve as a complement to ticket boxes, not to sweat, like many campaign groups, that they fail to address the harsh realities faced by many garment workers.Also, they are actively damaging and creating false progress in consumers.Consumers rely on 'ethical logos' and their accompanying promises - freedom of association, no work or forced labour, safe working conditions, secure pay.However, these are only tangible goals, not membership practices.Real living wage, although this figure exists, is nowhere to be found, although it is included in the entire accreditation system.These sworn objectives, presented as facts, lead to the illusion of a burden to improve labor abuses.This commitment by customers often places the image of the product with real transformation within the temple.
Alternatives made by employees
What is the alternative?For years, pioneers by academics and activists have rejected CSR's rhetoric about presenting CSR in this position.Labor Partilla-type worker representatives (nutritionists and signatories) have legally binding powers. This model must replace social equity and betrayal. We have seen notable successes such as the Dindigull Agreement in India, Besotho and Lesotho.
A key factor in this shift away from the social audit and accreditation model – and its susceptibility to company-controlled unions – has been the crucial role of independent unions.For twenty years, No Sweat has promoted strong and independent unions as the solution, believing that only through genuine collective bargaining and sustained monitoring by independent workers' representatives, power imbalances can be addressed and rights truly respected.It is only through the organization of workers that lasting and significant change can be produced.The legally binding agreements that emerge are the expansion of union organization.
A sweaty model
Eight years ago, there was no such thing.We created a women's T-Shirt Brand that challenges the traditional way of not being able to join workers and unions as part of the solution to sweattops.
Instead of relying on the analysis of social relations, we use the work of the business in the country of production to create its capacity and the capacity of its employees.Instead of relying on third parties to evaluate the model, we work with projects that we have a media relationship with.
This model, like emerging legally binding contracts, is primarily driven by employees.It is a condition of the buyer of the contract that the management of the factory, as the representative of the workers, has good relations with the trade union.The trade union monitors the conditions and resolves the conflict.trade is critical in this process so that the balance of power of workers is securely in place.This process would be futile if the union were controlled by the factory.
This project is facing some difficulty and problems regarding business and activity business.
Ultimately, the Sweatless T-Shirt Project serves as a compelling, union-driven demonstration for the garment industry, demonstrating that true accountability and worker well-being lie not in company-led audits but in the power of direct labor unions and negotiated contracts.
