ITGLWF/Inditex: first International Framework Agreement in the TGL (04/10/07)
5 Oct. 2007
A ground-breaking international framework agreement designed to promote decent work in the textiles, garments and footwear industries was today signed in La Coruña, Spain, by Inditex SA., the world's second largest clothing retailer and the global trade union, International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation
Under the agreement (attached), Inditex SA recognizes the ITGLWF as its global trade union counterpart for workers employed in the production of textiles, garments and footwear. And both undertake to collaborate to ensure the sustainable and long-term observance of all international labour standards throughout the Inditex supply chain.
The agreement is the first of its kind to cover a retail supply chain and because it provides workers with the mechanisms to monitor and enforce their rights at work, the agreement places the right of workers to unionise and to bargain collectively with their employer at the heart of efforts to secure sustainable compliance to key labour standards by suppliers to Inditex.
Inditex's Code of Conduct for External Manufacturers and Suppliers underpins the agreement which outlaws forced labour, child labour, discrimination and harsh and inhumane treatment throughout the Inditex supply chain. It provides for the payment of a living wage for a standard workweek, limitations on working hours, healthy and safe workplaces, regular employment and environmental awareness. The terms of the agreement will apply equally to direct suppliers, contractors and sub-contractors including homeworkers. No subcontracting will be allowed without the prior written consent of Inditex and suppliers allowed to subcontract will be responsible for subcontractor compliance.
Recognising the role of organized labour and collective bargaining, Inditex and the ITGLWF will keep constantly under review developments in this area in the Inditex supply chain and will co-operate in finding solutions where problems are detected, including collaborating on training programmes for the managements and workers concerned.
To facilitate this ongoing review Inditex will provide the ITGLWF with relevant information on its supply chain and both Inditex and the ITGLWF will jointly develop training policies and programmes to drive compliance.
The application of the agreement will be reviewed annually by a six person group drawn jointly from Inditex and the ITGLWF.
Commenting following signature of the agreement, Neil Kearney, ITGLWF General Secretary, commended Inditex on being trail-blazers in promoting compliance with international labour standards throughout their supply chain and in innovative ways. "In this agreement, Inditex and the ITGLWF today signal a new approach to ensuring decent work in the textile, garment and footwear supply chains", he said.
"It is an approach based on the employment relationship where the employer directly takes responsibility for those employed and where the exercise of that responsibility is regulated by a mature system of industrial relations at workplace level involving management and trade union representatives. Irregular policing through snap-shot audits is replaced by constant internal factory monitoring by those who know the enterprise best - management and workers – aided by the commitment of Inditex to build a totally socially compliant supply chain through support and training rather than sanction.
"We look forward to the challenge of jointly driving this forward with Inditex", he concluded.
The full text of the agreement is available at:
http://www.itglwf.org/DisplayDocument.aspx?idarticle=15382&langue=2 