ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the Australian garment industry is lagging behind other organisation for economic co-operation and development (OECD) countries in its adoption of corporate responsibility (CR) practices and that steps need to be taken to quicken the pace of CR uptake. It also explores the research conducted by the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) entitled Ethical Threads: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Australian Garment Industry. The findings of the Ethical Threads research reflect the international debate concerning mandatory regulation. The Homeworkers Code of Practice (HWCP) was developed as a response to the failure of mandatory rules to improve the conditions of outworkers. Australian labour laws and supply-chain regulation have thus far failed to improve the conditions of garment workers, particularly those working in the informal economy. The Australian system requires companies manufacturing in Australia to adhere to a regulatory framework that covers both factory workers and outworkers.
