Details of the strategy are set out in the issue paper, 'Behind the Label - The NSW Government Clothing Outwork Strategy', which was released in December 1999. The NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, John Della Bosca, says the government is committed to providing appropriate assistance to prevent outworker exploitation, and is currently considering the Fair Wear Code of Practice as part of its consultation with industry on the Behind the Label strategy. He points out that in addition to funding the Fair School Wear Campaign, the government is also funding the Homeworkers Code of Practice Committee, which is developing sewing time standards for schoolwear and an accompanying manual and assisting the community group Asian Women at Work with a spokesperson's training project. In August last year, shortly after he became Industrial Relations Minister, Della Bosca met Fair Wear representatives, outworkers and some of the girls from Monte Sant' Angelo. However while government support for outworkers is evident at state level in both NSW and Victoria, there is resistance to state legislation from groups at the retailer end of the chain.
Legislative details are a sticking point.
Fair Wear proposes that difficulties arising from different requirements of legislation in different states could be overcome by the ARA' s active participation in developing parallel legislation across the states. Last November Fair Wear wrote to the ARA requesting that it support the accreditation process, and also to request that suppliers carry an un-Australian sounding tag called the 'No Sweat Shop' label. The No SweatShop label was launched in Melbourne on International Women's Day on 8 March. Outworkers will a tag inside garments as a guarantee of ethical working conditions, and shoppers will not have to consult lists of compliant and non-compliant retailers. Regrettably, the green and gold 'Made in Australia' label, which has received widespread support, demonstrating willingness by consumers to do the right thing by local industry, is no guarantee that the individual who stitched a garment together received a fair go.