Uzbekistan: Freedom of Association Critical to Protecting Workers and Farmers From Forced Labor and Exploitative Working Conditions
Cotton Campaign statement on the labor rights situation in the cotton industry of Uzbekistan, one year after the elimination of state-imposed forced labor of pickers
Washington, D.C. (May 1, 2023)—Findings of independent civil society monitoring of the 2022 cotton harvest published in the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights’ report show serious human rights risks remain in the Uzbek cotton industry and that further reforms are needed to increase farmers’ autonomy and create an enabling environment for labor rights. Such reforms would protect the landmark progress made to end state-imposed forced labor in the cotton harvest and capitalize on the opportunity to encourage responsible sourcing from the country. The Uzbek government and local cotton companies should allow workers and farmers to form democratically elected unions and associations, and collectively defend their rights, the Cotton Campaign said in response to the findings of the report, which was released on April 4, 2023.
“Forced labor, particularly in the private sector, exists along a spectrum and it is not static”, said Allison Gill, Forced Labor Program Director at Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF), which hosts the Cotton Campaign. “Independent trade unions and farmers’ associations play a critical role in protecting workers’ and farmers’ fundamental rights, and ensuring stable employment and fair working conditions at each stage of cotton production.”
Uzbek Forum’s monitoring found that risks for coercion of pickers persist in the annual cotton harvest, in particular in districts with insufficient voluntary labor. This is a result of continued government control of the harvest and persistence of de facto cotton production targets for individual districts, despite privatization of the cotton sector. Uzbekistan has developed a vertically integrated textile industry, in which cotton companies (known as “clusters”) control multiple aspects of the textile value chain, from cotton growing, harvesting, and ginning, to manufacturing of finished goods.
While this new textile industry has the potential of meeting international labor standards, Uzbek Forum’s monitoring found that cotton farmers remain vulnerable to exploitative practices by the government and cotton companies. These include coercion to sign blank contracts, delayed and failed payments for the cotton delivered, and arbitrary and unlawful termination of land leases. Furthermore, Uzbek Forum documented cases of local authorities obstructing farmers in efforts to form and operate cooperatives, to grow cotton outside the cluster system.
Cotton workers also face constraints of their rights to associate and collectively bargain. Labor risks in the Uzbek cotton supply chain are heightened by low capacity for independent monitoring of labor rights at each stage of production, lack of effective grievance mechanisms, and involvement of workers and workers’ organizations in workplace monitoring and grievance procedures. Capacity issues are further exacerbated by continuing restrictions on independent groups, including trade unions, to register and operate without pressure or interference.
“The integrated textile industry of Uzbekistan is potentially attractive to global brands and retailers, as it provides unprecedented opportunities for traceability of cotton supply chains”, said Nate Herman, Senior Vice President, Policy, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). “But one year after the Cotton Campaign ended its call for a global boycott of Uzbek cotton and lifted the Pledge, brands remain hesitant to source from Uzbekistan. Without stronger protections of workers’ and farmers’ rights, including the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, brands face a lack of transparency and uncertainty regarding the Uzbek cotton supply chain”.
Ensuring a sustainable cotton industry in Uzbekistan requires protection of workers’ and farmers’ association and bargaining rights, as well as capacity building for independent monitoring of labor rights at each stage of production. It is essential to develop robust and worker-led grievance mechanisms through engagement with civil society and legitimate representatives of workers and farmers.
In March 2021, in an unprecedented action in Uzbekistan, which was positively received by the international community, farm workers at cotton company Indorama Agro formed the only known democratically elected trade union in the country. However, since the union was established, workers have continuously faced union-busting actions by the employer, the local government, and the state-aligned Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan (FTUU). This shows there is a critical need to protect workers’ association and bargaining rights and for worker-led mechanisms for ongoing monitoring, grievance and remedy, and accountability in the Uzbek textile industry.
“At a time when global brands are closely evaluating Uzbekistan as a possibility for textile sourcing, the Uzbek government and cotton companies should demonstrate their commitment to international labor rights standards”, said Bennett Freeman, Cotton Campaign co-founder and former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. “In today’s context of supply chain governance, brands have due diligence requirements to demonstrate that labor rights are protected in their cotton supply chains, down to the raw material level.”
In 2019, the Cotton Campaign submitted to the government of Uzbekistan a comprehensive Roadmap of Reforms to end forced labor in the cotton industry and ensure that reforms are fundamental and sustainable. The Roadmap, which was received positively by the government, outlines the three core objectives that are complementary and mutually reinforcing: i) end systemic forced labor; ii) enact structural reforms; and iii) empower civil society to create an enabling environment for labor rights. The Cotton Campaign commends the Uzbek government for having successfully achieved Objective 1, and urges that tangible progress is made towards broader reforms to increase the farmers’ autonomy, empower civil society, and create an enabling environment for labor rights.
“Now that state-imposed forced labor in the harvest has been eliminated, we have a solid foundation to move toward a truly sustainable cotton industry that benefits Uzbek workers, farmers, and civil society”, said Raluca Dumitrescu, Coordinator of the Cotton Campaign. “We believe responsible sourcing has a key role to play in this and are engaging with global brands to pilot a responsible sourcing model that will encourage good labor practices at cotton companies in Uzbekistan.”
The Cotton Campaign is engaging with global brands and the Uzbek industry to develop pilot programs based on international best practice and co-governance models, to establish worker-driven mechanisms for prevention and mitigation of human rights risks. But without political will from the Uzbek government to introduce broader reforms to protect workers and farmers, these pilots are unable to improve labor practices across the whole industry.
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The Cotton Campaign is a coalition of human and labor rights NGOs, independent trade unions, brand and retail associations, responsible investor organizations, supply chain transparency groups, and academic partners, united to end forced labor and promote decent work for cotton workers in Central Asia.
Global Labor Justice - International Labor Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF) is a newly merged organization that brings strategic capacity to cross-sectoral work on global value chains and labor migration corridors. GLJ-ILRF is coordinating and hosting the Cotton Campaign.
Uzbek Forum is a Berlin-based NGO dedicated to improving the human rights situation in Uzbekistan and strengthening and promoting civil society. Uzbek Forum has conducted independent monitoring of the Uzbek cotton harvest every year since 2010.
