What’s in it for Labour? Private Social Standards in the Cut Flower industries of Kenya and Tanzania Cut flower value chains Private social standards Potential for labour organisations Labour strategies towards standards Lone Riisgaard, Danish Institute for International Studies

Research questions (1)Do private social standards open opportunities for labour organisations to pursue their own objectives? (2)How do labour organizations use these standards to their own advantage?

Cut Flowers Increase in developing country export Proliferation of private social & environmental standards Direct sourcing by supermarkets Kenya – 4th largest exporter Tanzania – 25th

Flower value chains Importer Large plantation Auction Importer Wholesaler Plantations Small grower Exporter Contract farmer Outgrower FloristRetailer Exporter Retailer Importer

Private social Standards 1)Company standards (‘responsible sourcing’ by Waitrose) 2)Northern sectoral standards (EUREGAP and MPS) 3)Southern sectoral standards (the Kenya Flower Council (KFC) and the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya standards (FPEAK)) 4)Multistakeholder standards (the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), the International Code of Conduct for Cut Flowers (ICC), the Max Havelaar and Fairtrade Labelling Organization criteria for flowers (FLO), the Flower Label Programme (FLP) and the Fair Flowers and Plants (FFP) label, the Kenyan Horticultural Ethical Business Initiative (HEBI)) 5)Government standards (Kenya Bureau of Standard (KEBS) code for the horticultural industry)

Labor content Provisions Standards Freed om of associ ation Right to collec tive barga ining Regular employme nt/ Work contract Awarenes s raising/ capacity building on workers rights collec tive barga ining dema nd Some form of workers’ representa tion demanded. Audit ed Proof of correspon dence with union NGO/unio ns have right to complain between audits Audit shadowi ng by unions- /NGOs Sharing of audit report with unions- /NGOs Northern sectoral standards EUREPGAPNNN/NNNNYNNNN MPS-SQYYN/YNNNYNNYY Southern sectoral standards KFCYYN/YNNNYNNNN Government standards KEBSYYY/YNNNNNNNN Multistakeholder standards ETIYYY/YNNNNNYNN FLPYYY/Y YNNYNYY N Max Havelaar (FLO)YYY/YYYYYYNNN HEBIYYY/YYNNNNYNN ICCYYY/YNNNNNYNN

Laber organisations and private social standards in Tanzania & Kenya Type of value chain is significant Standards differ markedly in the degree to which they are likely to open room for labour Interpretation of standard provisions influence the degree to which the standards in practice provide opportunities

Labour strategies Tanzania (TPAWU): Active engagement Kenya (KPAWU): Contestation Kenya (NGOs): Active engagement

Conclusions Rigorous standards can potentially be useful to labour organisations Practical outcome differs according to context and labour organisations Standards do not seriously challenge GVC structures