Skip to main content
Home

Main menu

  • Home
  • Why ETI
    • Why join ETI
  • ETI Base Code
    • Base Code overview
    • Base Code clause 1: Employment is freely chosen
    • Base Code clause 2: Freedom of association
    • Base Code clause 3: Working conditions are safe and hygienic
    • Base Code clause 4: Child labour shall not be used
    • Base Code clause 5: Living wages are paid
    • Base Code clause 6: Working hours are not excessive
    • Base Code clause 7: No discrimination is practiced
    • Base Code clause 8: Regular employment is provided
    • Base Code clause 9: No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
  • Our approach
    • Membership
    • Programmes
    • Transparency
    • Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement (MSE)
  • Our expertise
    • Climate change & Just transitions
    • Crisis response
    • Gender equality in supply chains
    • Worker representation
    • Forced labour & modern slavery
    • Responsible purchasing practices
      • RPP in manufacturing
    • Human rights due diligence
      • HRDD legislation tracker
  • Resources
    • Guidance & reports
    • Blog
    • Case studies
    • Training
    • Events
    • Annual impact report
  • About ETI
    • Who we are
      • ETI's origins
    • What we do
    • Our members
      • Public reporting performance
    • Global presence
    • Governance
    • Our team
      • ETI Board members

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. blog

Ethical trade ‘quantum leap' gains support

  • 14 September 2009
Ethical trade ‘quantum leap' gains support

ETI's plans to support our member companies to take a ‘quantum leap' forward in ethical trade, away from a narrow focus on auditing and corrective action, towards helping suppliers build ‘good workplaces' were last week (10 September) met with enthusiasm from a group of corporate members.

Speaking at a specially-convened meeting aimed at exploring this proposed new approach in detail, ETI Director Dan Rees explained, "Workers don't need audits. They need transparent company rules, grievance and disciplinary procedures that are consistently applied, and the opportunity to unionise if they wish to do so.

"This is a new approach to ethical trade, which demands us all to take a quantum leap forward in our thinking."

Neil Kearney, General Secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) helped explain the rationale for the new approach.

He said, "The unintended consequence of the past decade or so of ethical trade, and its heavy focus on audits, has been to weaken the employer-employee relationship. We need to help rebuild that relationship."

Kearney also outlined ITLGWF's positive experiences of working with ETI member companies Gap Inc. and Inditex to build suppliers' ownership of ethical trade and encourage them to engage with unions, which is already having concrete business benefits.

Adil Rehman of Next outlined the company's plans to pilot an approach to building mature industrial relations with selected suppliers.

Companies present expressed support for this new approach to ethical trade, while expressing the need for practical guidance, tools and support from ETI and stakeholders in supplier countries.

Said Rees, "It's exciting to hear such positive responses from our members. We are committed to providing the necessary tools and support to help our member companies move forward with this initiative, which is a key part of our new strategy.

Colin Fenwick of the ILO's Industrial and Employment Relations Department also explained the ILO's position on freedom of association and collective bargaining and offered guidance on how companies can implement these principles in their supply chains.

ETI will shortly circulate a briefing note from this event to members.

Stay up to date

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

Related content

  • ETI Impact report 2021-23
  • Business continuity guide
  • Business models & labour standards: making the connection
  • Towards greater transparency: ETI's direction of travel
  • Towards greater transparency: the business case
  • ILO-joint ETI supplier survey

Get the latest

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

ETI elsewhere

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

Footer

  • ETI Community
  • Accessibility
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Jobs at ETI
  • Press resources
  • Security & privacy
Other ETIs: Bangladesh, Denmark, Norway, Sweden
Ethical Trading Initiative | Registered No. 3578127