It might be valuable, however, before we get to the issue of general guidelines, to review how we got to this point, where we see the need to hold a forum on independent monitoring of worker rights. Human rights groups, religious groups, organized labor and various other social movements in the US and Canada, working in concert with groups on the ground in the South have brought attention to the disgraceful working conditions, starvation wages, abysmal living standards, and the general degradation which workers experience in much of Central America and the Caribbean. Consumers don't want to buy toys, apparel, and other products produced under grossly exploitative conditions. The adverse publicity has resulted in customer disaffection, and reduced sales and profits. When first faced with the accusations of violations, most corporations deny any knowledge of, or indeed, that any abuse or violations of workers rights are taking place.
Second stage is to blame others.
As the campaign brings increasing attention on the company, often pointing out specific and detailed abuses and violations, they seek to blame local contractors as its their responsibility to meet local standards, or blame the local government as they are charged with enforcement, or blame the workers themselves - their problems are of their own making because of their failure to complain or their failure to report abuses to management or the appropriate government agency. The actions in this stage usually consist of a combination of the actions taken in stage one and two, but what makes this a separate and distinct stage, is that the company seeks to take the offensive. Fourth Stage is to seek to reassert control over damaged corporate image. Again, this flows from the third stage. Public relations firms are hired to publicize the companies ethical practice and code.