ETI conference 2005 - Shaping a new agenda
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P2: Putting workers centre stage
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Day 1, second morning plenary:
Top-down approaches to ethical trade that do not actively involve workers will not achieve lasting change. This was a key message from trade union and NGO participants at our last conference, a view that is increasingly echoed by many corporate ethical trade managers. But in practice, how does one go about putting workers centre stage? How do we ensure that all types of workers – be they female homeworkers or male factory workers – are given a voice and an active role in shaping better working conditions for themselves? This session provided participants with:
- The rationale for actively involving workers – why it makes sense for workers, suppliers and retailers/brands;
- A practical case study of how one retailer/brand has actively involved workers in code activities.
(See also Critical Issues Workshop 8, which provides further practical examples of different ways in which companies can seek to involve workers - link at foot of this page.)
BRIEFING PAPERS
Based on presentations and discussions from the conference, this set of briefing papers has been designed to provide practical guidance to brands, retailers, suppliers and others on addressing cutting edge issues in ethical trade, such as resolving difficult non-compliances, improving purchasing practices, and working with trade unions.
Outline of Lakshmi Bhatia's presentation
Full length audio recording of Lakshmi Bhatia's presentation
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