Skip to main content
Home

User Menu

  • Perspective
  • Log in

Main menu

  • Home
  • About ETI
    • Our members
      • Previous members
    • What we do
      • Resolving violations
    • Why we exist
      • ETI's origins
    • Our impact on workers
    • Accountability
    • Funding
    • Our strategy
    • Our team
      • ETI Board members
    • Contact
  • ETI Base Code
    • 1. Employment is freely chosen
    • 2. Freedom of association
    • 3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic
    • 4. Child labour shall not be used
    • 5. Living wages are paid
    • 6. Working hours are not excessive
    • 7. No discrimination is practiced
    • 8. Regular employment is provided
    • 9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
  • Programmes
  • Join ETI
    • How to apply
    • What members sign up to
    • The business case
  • Training
    • All courses
    • Essentials of ethical trade series
    • Human rights due diligence series
    • China series
    • ETI trainers
    • Bespoke training
  • Resources
    • Case studies
    • Newsletters
    • Useful links
  • Issues
    • Union rights at work
    • COVID-19
    • Modern slavery
      • Modern slavery and transparency standards
      • Modern slavery initiatives
      • Modern slavery resources
      • Modern slavery evaluation framework
    • Due diligence
      • ETI’s work on human rights due diligence
        • ETI’s work in Pakistan
        • Pakistan, labour rights resources
      • Resources on human rights due diligence
    • Public procurement & responsible business
    • Company purchasing practices
      • Working conditions in the Leicester garment industry
    • Grievance mechanisms & remedy
    • Gender equity
      • Gender equality - initiatives
      • Gender equality - international standards
      • Gender equality - resources
    • A living wage for workers
      • Living wage initiatives
      • Living wage resources
      • Living wage standards
      • Wages and purchasing theories
    • Business and human rights in India
    • Child labour
    • Homeworkers
    • Migrant workers
    • HIV at work
    • Ethical trade and fairtrade
  • Blog
  • Events
    • Ethical Insights series

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. blog

Statement to the EAC regarding ETI and Boohoo

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Peter McAllister
  • 14 July 2020

An open letter from ETI Director Peter McAllister, sent to the Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, 13 July 2020

Dear Mr Dunne

Re: Statement regarding ETI and Boohoo

Thank you for your enquiry of 9th July where you enquired if Boohoo became a full member of the ETI and if they now formally recognise trade unions. You quoted Boohoo saying this: "We are taking steps to gain membership of the ETI. We have submitted our initial application to join the ETI. We are also meeting with the ETI on 13 August 2019. We look forward to sharing more information with the ETI and helping the ETI carry out further due diligence during that meeting."

Overall we have only received two approaches from Boohoo, both after they have received attention from either the EAC or campaign groups. Last summer, following their submission to the EAC, we were invited to a small number of exploratory initial conversations with Boohoo at a senior level. At that time, we expressed our desire for meaningful two-way communication between Boohoo and USDAW trade union relating to freedom of association. Disappointingly, we were not able to persuade them to engage with USDAW. Subsequently, they withdrew from direct communication with us and hired a management and business consultancy to contact us. Though we would not have invited it at that time, we did not receive any formal application from them to join ETI.

Later we understood that they had communicated with Burnley Council stating that they had joined an alternative organisation. Our understanding is that this alternative is an audit-based body that does not have a progression framework and does not hold its members to account.

Earlier this year, following discussions between Labour Behind the Label and Boohoo, we received another approach from their Sustainability Director. Another exploratory meeting was set up, but this was postponed due to COVID-l9 lockdown. Since then, we have had no further contact.

In our years of discussions with members on the challenges faced within the UK Garment Industry, we have received regular concerns about the type of business practices that have been reported in the last weeks in Leicester. Development of any discussions in relation to potential Boohoo membership of ETI would have necessitated a robust examination of company operations as we are not convinced that they would meet a number of critical aspects essential to ETI membership.

Please feel free to contact me if you require any further information or clarification.

Kind Regards

Peter McAllister, Executive Director

Blog post

ETI's Peter McAllister responds to the Chair of the EAC's letter to Boohoo executives

Peter McAllister responds to a letter to Boohoo executives from the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee asking serious questions about its treatment of workers in Leicester garment factories
Read more
Page

Working conditions in the Leicester garment industry

Garment worker, using sewing machine
ETI statement on Leicester garment factories, in light of COVID-19. 
Read more
ETI's blog covers issues at the intersection of business, news and ethical trade. We welcome a range of insights and opinions from our guest bloggers, though don't necessarily agree with everything they say.

Stay up to date

Stay up to date with the latest from ETI via the following channels:
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Blog RSS

Related content

  • Job vacancy: ICT Systems Support Officer
  • Recommendations for factories to protect workers from COVID-19
  • Investors urged to look beyond the glib optimism of the Levitt report and hold boohoo execs properly to account
  • Transitions & Futures: Apparel & Textile member discussion
  • Working conditions in the Leicester garment industry
  • ETI calls for government commitment to tackle abuses in Leicester

Get the latest

Subscribe to our email newsletters and stay up to speed on ethical trade.
Subscribe

ETI elsewhere

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Footer

  • Accessibility
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Jobs at ETI
  • Press resources
  • Privacy
  • Modern slavery statement
Other ETIs: Denmark, Norway, Sweden
Ethical Trading Initiative | Registered No. 3578127