Advancing Worker Protection Through Transformative Partnerships
Event description
Please join us for an evening discussion with a panel of extraordinary international and local experts to discuss how worker exploitation in the textile, clothing and footwear industry can be addressed at both a global and local level.
The discussion will centre around the current challenges in the industry, and the power of collaboration across sectors – civil society, unions, governments and the private sector – to advance and embed mechanisms and frameworks to protect and prevent against worker exploitation.
Panellists
Christina Hajagos-Clausen Textile and Garment Industry Director of IndustriALL | Christina Hajagos-Clausen is IndustriALL Global Union’s director for the textile, garment, shoe and leather sector. IndustriALL Global Union represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in mining, energy and manufacturing, including the garment and textile, leather and shoe sectors. It is a force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world. Christina is a board member of the initiative ACT (Action, Collaboration and Transformation); a member of the Global Steering Committee for the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industries; and also a board member of the Bangladesh RMG Sustainability Council. She represents IndustriALL Global Union on the Better Work Advisory Committee and at the OECD Garment and Footwear Advisory Group. She holds a BA in language and literature from Bard College; an MA in women studies from the New School for Social Research; and a MSc in union leadership and administration from the University of Massachusetts. She is also a graduate of Harvard’s trade union programme. |
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Chris Evans Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner | Mr Chris Evans is the inaugural Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner. Mr Evans has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Freedom Network of Walk Free, working with faith leaders to end human trafficking and modern slavery. From 2016 to 2020 he also held the role of Strategic Engagement Lead, Walk Free, leading the organisation’s national and international engagement with governments, business and civil society to forge partnerships to strengthen legislative and policy responses to modern slavery. Walk Free played a significant role in the campaign for the introduction of the Modern Slavery Bill 2018. Mr Evans was a Senator for Western Australia between 1993 and 2013. He served as Leader of the Government in the Senate (2007-13), Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2007-10), Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations (2010-11) and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research (2011-13). |
The Hon. Dr. Sarah Kaine MLC Member of the NSW Legislative Council | Dr Sarah Kaine is a member of the NSW Legislative Council, elected in 2023, with a deep commitment to social justice, labour rights, and gender equity. A key focus of her work is sustainable fashion, where she advocates for ethical production, transparency in supply chains, and the protection of garment workers—particularly in sectors vulnerable to exploitation and modern slavery. |
Jenny Kruschel TCF National Secretary of the newly formed Textile, Furnishings and Timber Union (TFTU) | Jenny is an advocate for workers’ rights and supporting a skilled workforce. She is currently the TCF National Secretary of the TFTU. Jenny has a wealth of experience in the clothing, footwear and textile industry. Her working career includes various roles in textile and clothing factories in regional Victoria, as well as 25 years’ experience representing and supporting workers in TCF workplaces. |
Facilitator:
Rachel Reilly National Manager at Ethical Clothing Australia | Rachel has a strong commitment to human rights, with a focus on labour and women’s rights. She formerly held the position of Executive Director of a not-for-profit which provided support to women who had experienced modern slavery, and who were generally unable to access government support. In this role, Rachel, undertook significant advocacy for systemic change to ensure the rights of all victims and survivors were fulfilled and protected. This led Rachel to undertake a Master of Human Rights Law, which piqued her interest in the intersection of business and human rights. Her role at Ethical Clothing Australia brings together these core interests in human rights – women, labour and, bridging the accountability gap between business and human rights. |
ABOUT ETHICAL CLOTHING AUSTRALIA
Ethical Clothing Australia is a not-for-profit and multi-stakeholder initiative. We have been delivering an accreditation program to protect and uphold the rights of Australian garment workers for almost twenty-five years. We work collaboratively with local textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) businesses and conduct annual audits on a business’s manufacturing operations including head office(s), any in-house manufacturing operations and all outsourced locations in Australia, from design to dispatch, to ensure that local TCF workers, including outworkers, are being paid appropriately, receiving all their legal entitlements and working in safe conditions.
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