Corporate lawyers are experts in using language to cloud issues and transfer focus to less harmful areas when their companies are under attack. Phraseology is also crucial to organisations like SAI seeking to protect what they see as their impartiality against allegations from critical organisations which believe international or external CoCos are merely an extension of the smokescreen attempted by internal CoCos. Terminology leads to hair-splitting, misunderstanding, and confusion. However for this to be necessary in a factory that has already won SA8000 certification does not inspire confidence in the system for accrediting auditing organisations. The SAI and user companies see SA8000 as a two edged sword - as a viable solution for improving workplace conditions and a good business decision.
Critics see the latter as being more important.
BACK TO TOP Unequal regional representation 28 individuals are listed members of the SAI advisory board. Only one is from the Asia-Pacific region. One 'alternate' to these Americans is from Europe. With open mistrust between northern and southern labour organisations, as exhibited in the almost polarised debate over the social clause, representation of Asia-Pacific countries on the SAI advisory board should not be taken so lightly. ALU will not reveal the company's name or address to protect workers from arbitrary dismissal.