The ITUC’s Just Transition and Climate department (JTC) is calling for tenders

Trade unions around the world frame efforts to ensure that workers are at the centre of efforts to decarbonise the economy around the concept of ‘Just Transition’, which has been codified by the United Nations International Labour Organisation’s guidelines on the topic and has been cited in all UN climate summit statements since the 2015 Paris Agreement. At its core, Just Transition means that workers and their representatives are part of negotiations alongside governments and companies over the way the climate and environmental transition is happening on the ground, to ensure that the shift to sustainable industries creates decent, secure jobs.

The International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) Just Transition and Climate department (JTC) supports affiliates (national unions in 167 countries worldwide) in their efforts around the Just Transition, across various sectors (including energy, industry, agriculture, transport, textiles and garments).

The ITUC JTC implementing a 3-year project for workers in the textile and garment sector. In collaboration with IndustriAll Global Union and IndustriAll Europe , the project seeks to empower trade unions in the textile and garment industry to integrate Just Transition principles into collective bargaining and negotiations with social partners at a global, regional and national level. For this to happen, the textile and garment trade union movement needs a joint understanding of Just Transition and what it means for the sector. A key deliverable of the project is therefore a Just Transition Manifesto for the Textile and Garment industry and supply chains that articulates the sector’s demands and provides a framework for union participation in the Green Transition.

The Manifesto will draw upon the outcomes of discussions that took place in 2024 during a series of online meetings convened by project partners and featuring dozens of union participants from across the world.

This tender is seeking a qualified and experienced consultant to lead the process of developing a Just Transition Manifesto for the Textile and Garment industry and supply chains.

For more information click here

Holcim workers on strike for over 70 days in Peru

Sitramac – the union of Comacsa workers affiliated to FETRIMAP-CGTP, which in turn is an IndustriALL Global Union affiliate in Peru – began a general strike on 6 December 2024, after the action was approved by the labour ministry. The union called on the labour ministry and other authorities to intervene, as Holcim failed to propose a wage increase.

Swiss company Holcim, a world leader in construction solutions, acquired all shares and operations of the Peruvian company Comacsa in August 2024. However, the company has refused to improve workers’ financial conditions, with workers claiming that Holcim is yet to agree to any of the financial terms set out in their proposed collective bargaining agreement.

“Workers condemn the fact that, despite Holcim’s strong financial position globally, Comacsa has not yet responded to their demands for wage increases or improved working conditions. Our struggle has just begun dear colleagues and we will take it all the way,”

said FETRIMAP-CGTP secretary general, Gilmer Ibañez Melendrez.

According to the union leader, the dispute is yet to be resolved even though the union has asked Peru’s labour ministry to intervene.

Alexander Ivanou, IndustriALL director for glass, cement, ceramic and associated industries, said:

“IndustriALL stands in full solidarity with the Comacsa workers in their brave struggle for fair working conditions. It is unacceptable that, after more than 70 days of strike action, Holcim still refuses to meet the union's legitimate demands.
Holcim must respect the workers’ right to fair collective bargaining and address their demands for wage increases and improved working conditions immediately. We also urge Peru’s labour ministry to take urgent action to ensure a fair and just settlement.
The workers are not alone – IndustriALL and affiliates will continue to support their struggle until justice is achieved. We will stand with them and fight back until victory is won!”

Three years of war: Ukraine’s unbreakable spirit

IndustriALL Global and industriAll European Trade Union have been steadfast in demanding an end to the war. The organizations have called on international policymakers across Ukraine, the EU and the USA to push for political solutions, peace and justice. The global and European trade unions have condemned the invasion as a flagrant violation of international law and an attack on sovereignty and human dignity.

Last year global unions travelled to Ukraine to reaffirm the global trade union movement’s support of workers and their unions in the country.

“My visit to Ukraine was a sobering reminder of the profound human cost of this conflict, but most of all it reinforced my belief that war has only losers and must be avoided,”

said IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, when he returned.

Ukraine’s path to the European Union, marked by its candidacy in June 2022, is both a political step and a declaration of hope, ensuring Ukrainian workers a voice in the European trade union movement.

In April 2023, Ukrainian union representatives met in Poland, strategizing ways to support workers suffering under occupation and rampant rights violations. Despite overwhelming challenges, they spoke of hope, rebuilding structures, lives, rights and freedoms.
Ukraine’s workers remain at the frontlines of resilience. With nearly half of the country’s energy infrastructure destroyed, they risk their lives to keep the nation’s power running.

Among these countless courageous stories is one of Lidiya Galkina. A lifelong miner and trade union leader of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine (NPGU) in the now-occupied Luhansk region. Lidiya lost everything when Russian forces destroyed her hometown of Toshkivka. Forced to flee she refused to surrender and she channeled her grief into action by co-founding the humanitarian initiative Step to Victory, crafting camouflage nets and protective gear for Ukraine’s defenders. Her resolve reflects that of millions fighting not only for survival, but for a free and just future.

“If only we could drive the occupiers from our land, then together, we will rebuild everything overcome all hardships and achieve our goals,”

says Lidiya Galkina.

IndustriALL Global and industriAll Europe continues to call on the International Labour Organization (ILO) to intervene with the Russian government to stop the destruction of civilian facilities, in particular energy-generating infrastructure and attacks on civilians, infrastructure and workplaces.

“We reiterate our call to the ILO in coordination with other agencies and programs of the United Nations to support an initiative to help provide the government of Ukraine with thermal generation equipment such as steam turbines, turbogenerators and their control systems and transformers. This international support is vital in helping strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s energy system, ensuring power supply to Ukraine’s citizens and enterprises, preventing humanitarian and economic collapse and saving workplaces in Ukraine,”

says Atle Høie.

As Ukraine endures relentless attacks on its infrastructure and its people, the fight for survival is matched by the fight for workers’ rights, ensuring that reconstruction is built on justice, dignity, and fairness.

In a recent letter to Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, IndustriALL condemned the ministry of economy’s disregard for over 90 per cent of trade union proposals on the August 2024 draft Labour Code. A revised version, with 15 new articles, was introduced without union consultation.

The draft, soon to be debated in the Verkhovna Rada, violates international labour standards, weakens worker protections and seeks to make wartime labour restrictions permanent. It also omits essential provisions on employer-union relations and worker participation.

IndustriALL Global and industriAll Europe demand that the European Union be clear towards the Ukrainian government about the requirements for accession to the European Union. A negative development in the labor legislation is not compatible with EU membership.

“IndustriALL urges the Ukrainian government to engage in genuine dialogue to ensure labour reforms uphold international standards. Trade unions are crucial to Ukraine’s reconstruction, ensuring that justice, fairness and dignity form the foundation of the rebuilding process. This anniversary, we remember not only losses but the unbeatable strength of Ukraine’s workers. Their struggle is not only for their homeland but for the very principles of peace, justice and democracy that unite us all. The international trade union movement will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,”

says Atle Høie.

Photos: Confederation of Free Trade Unions

Unjust conviction of Korean unionists at Hanwha Ocean

The local chair of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) Geoje, Tongyeong and Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontracted Workers' Local, Kim Hyoung-su, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined KRW 1 million (US$670). The union’s former vice-chair, Yoo Choi-Ahn, received a two-year prison sentence, while the local general secretary, Lee-Kim Chun-Taek, was sentenced to one year in prison.

An additional nine union activists were also sentenced to prison terms, while the remaining 17 workers received financial penalties.

The judge granted a stay of execution for all prison sentences, citing the public interest nature of the strike.

In the summer of 2022, the Geoje, Tongyeong and Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontractors’ Local staged a strike at Dock 1 of the Okpo shipyard. The workers demanded collective bargaining with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) to reverse a unilateral 30 per cent wage cut, improve health and safety conditions, guarantee trade union rights and address what they viewed as exploitative multi-tier subcontracting arrangements at the shipyard.

DSME, later acquired by Hanwha Group and rebranded as Hanwha Ocean in 2023, justified the wage cuts by citing the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The striking workers faced intimidation from both the company and the government. DSME refused collective bargaining and instead mobilized its HR department employees, subcontractors and white-collar staff to attack the striking workers. The Yoon Suk Yeol administration escalated tensions by considering a raid on the strike, deploying commandos and special forces to conduct suppression exercises near the iron cage protest, with helicopters flying overhead.

Despite the strike ending, the company sued the union and its leaders for US$37 million in alleged damages for missed production targets.

In October 2023, IndustriALL and ITUC, together with civil society organizations, gathered in Geneva to support Korean civil society. They raised concerns over the repression of freedom of association by the Korean government during the UN Human Rights Committee’s examination of Korea’s adherence to its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The president of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), Jang Chang-year, condemned the court ruling, stating:

“Attempts to imprison our union members and impose astronomical damages claims on them simply for demanding fair treatment and human dignity are clear evidence that the system is fundamentally broken. Hanwha Ocean must withdraw its civil suit, and the judiciary must deliver a not-guilty verdict in the appellate trial.”

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said:

“IndustriALL expected a fair verdict that fully respected workers' rights to freedom of association, including the unrestricted right to strike and collective bargaining. This expectation stems from the Republic of Korea’s commitment to protecting the civil and political rights of its workers and citizens and its ratification of ILO conventions 87 and 98. This did not happen so Korea still has a long way to go. In the meantime these verdicts have to be reversed.”

Photos: 1-3 2022 strike, 4 in front of court, 19 February 2025. Credit KMWU

Binding agreements are key to progress

In one of the panels, Etienne Vlok from IndustriALL South African affiliate SACTWU, highlighted the potential for trade agreements to foster responsible business practices within domestic markets, particularly in regions where ethical business standards are not as deeply entrenched as in Europe. Compliance with international standards must be mandatory, not optional.

Discussions centred around the effectiveness of legally binding agreements in ensuring compliance and fostering better labour conditions. Speakers pointed to the success of agreements like the Bangladesh Accord, which has demonstrated that binding frameworks can lead to tangible improvements in working conditions and worker safety. However, many agreements outside such frameworks remain weak, highlighting the ongoing challenge of ensuring enforceability.

The forum also highlighted growing investor interest in binding agreements as a means of mitigating financial risk. For investors, companies that fail to comply with labour rights regulations pose a significant reputational and financial risk. During the forum, IndustriALL and the Labour Rights Investor Network (LRIN) launched Investor Guidance and Expectations: Supply Chain Due Diligence and Binding Agreements. The document lays out investor expectations for companies to respect workers' rights in global supply chains. Specifically, it addresses how binding agreements between trade unions or worker representatives and companies can uphold fundamental labour rights and mitigate related risks for companies and their investors.

Union engagement was another focal point of the discussions. With only 39 per cent union density in the sector and collective bargaining agreements covering approximately 30 per cent of the workforce — higher than the global average but still inadequate — the need to expand union representation remains critical.

IndustriALL affiliates from Bangladesh, Cambodia and Türkiye described the challenges faced by unions, including government and employer resistance, as well as outright criminalization of worker advocacy in some countries. Despite these hurdles, the signing of Cambodia’s first brand-backed collective bargaining agreement was highlighted as a key victory, demonstrating that brand engagement is essential for meaningful progress.

Athit Kong, president of Cambodian union CCADWU, stressed the need for direct brand involvement in negotiations, rather than relying solely on supplier-level agreements.

"We need to engage with brands, not only with suppliers and workers. Our union, CCADWU, has signed the first CBA under the Cambodia agreement. We call on other brands sourcing from Cambodia to follow as soon as possible.”

A critical yet complex issue discussed at the forum was responsible disengagement. While brands must take a stand against human rights violations, sudden exits from factories or regions can leave workers in precarious situations.

"We want workers to work. We want to engage with businesses and brands on these issues. Disengagement must be carefully managed through responsible exit strategies that minimize harm to workers. This approach requires long-term planning, stakeholder engagement, and brand accountability to ensure that vulnerable workers are not left without livelihoods,”

said Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile and garment director.

Youth calls for inclusion in decision-making bodies

During the virtual SEA2PAC meeting on 13 February, a survey on inclusion of youth in unions was presented. The outcome shows the percentage of young workers (age below 35) in IndustriALL affiliates’ executive committees ranged from zero to 50 per cent. Four out of six respondents have less than ten percent youth executive committee members.

Most IndustriALL affiliates in the region have established youth committees. However, only four out of six respondents said that unions allocated a budget for youth meetings or activities.

In general, the youth database in the region is limited as trade unions lack age segregated databases, some unions are requesting information from company-based affiliates. Another challenge of constructing a regional youth database is the different age limits, for example Australian Council of Trade Unions’ (ACTU) labels young workers aged between 15 and 27.

SEA2PAC co-chair Jonathan Cook says:

"While we are collecting more data from youth delegates and facing the challenge of scarcity of data, the preliminary result of the survey shows inadequate youth representation in union executive committees. It is crucial to enact a strong global youth policy to include more youth in decision-making bodies and allocate an adequate budget for youth activities."

IndustriALL regional secretary for South East Asia Ramon Certeza says:

"Young workers' voices remain unheard and unions must be able to articulate young workers' interest. We must continue to empower young workers by providing them seats on tables for their active participation. Trade unions should commit to IndustriALL's transformative agenda to keep trade unions relevant and resilient."

The virtual meeting also included training on gender equality, sexual orientation and LGBTQIA+. IndustriALL director of gender Armelle Seby shared the concepts of sex and gender, formal equality and substantive equality. Anjali from India's Tata Workers' Union presented the idea of diversity and inclusion, and the achievements by LGBTQIA+ members in India. For instance, Indian transgenders have assumed positions such as lawyer, judge, police officer and college principal.

“IndustriALL supports increased visibility of LGBTQIA+ workers. We are preparing an inclusivity checklist and will invite affiliates to join a global day of action on 17 May, the international day against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia,”

says IndustriALL youth officer Sarah Flores.

25 youth delegates and observers from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand joined the virtual meeting.

IndustriALL Global Union is looking for a regional officer for cross-sectoral issues and policy for Southeast Asia office

IndustriALL is a global trade union federation with 550 affiliates in 130 countries, representing over 50 million workers, including in the mining, energy, and manufacturing sectors. IndustriALL focuses on building union power all over the world through organizing and campaigning, fighting for an economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice.

The IndustriALL Southeast Asia office in Malaysia is one of five regional offices, covering Southeast and East Asia, as well as the Pacific. IndustriALL is looking for a regional cross-sectoral issues (1) and policy officer in the region. The position will be supervised by IndustriALL’s regional secretary.

This full-time position is based in Malaysia, with some travel required, particularly in the region covered by the office.

The main tasks will be:

Cross sectoral issues

Organizing and coordinating the IndustriALL’s cross-sectoral work in the South-East Asia region
Working with the IndustriALL directors for sectors and cross-sectors, acting as the responsible
person for the IndustriALL cross-sectoral activities in the region
Maintaining day-to-day contacts with the affiliates related to cross-sectoral issues in the region,
including offering policy and advocacy advice, research as well as practical assistance to ensure
that cross-sectoral activities’ plans are discussed, agreed and implemented for all activities
Looking for possible synergies between sectors and cross-sectoral matters
Assisting, when necessary, various project teams and the donour organisations, as well as trade
unions in donour countries, proactively dealing with both general and detailed project issues that
concern both
Coordinating cross-sectoral activities
Participating in, as well as organising and preparing national / regional trade union activities as
required
Ensuring, together with the sectoral directors and regional officer of sectors, international level
support to unions involved in the cross- sectoral activities
Writing, producing and/or distributing materials and publications for use in the cross-sectoral
activities
Developing online tools for the cross-sectoral work

Policy

Developing strategy and actions in line with IndustriALL’s Global Action Plan, regional priorities and strategic planning and cross-sectoral matters
Ensuring practical organisation of meetings, developing agendas, and communicating with affiliates
Keeping regular contact with affiliates, conducting surveys, and arranging exchanges among the affiliates

Other tasks

Assisting in conducting workshops and seminars as required
Any other work as assigned by the regional secretary

Requirements

Wide experience in trade union matters in the region
A good understanding of the trade union movement and trade union experience in South-
East Asian countries
At least five years experiences in industrial policy that covers broad cross-sectoral related matters
in trade union movement
The ability to undertake cross- sectoral policy research
Excellent communication skills, written as well as oral
Willingness and being available to travel, as the position would require some travel in the countries
covered by the South-East Asia office
The ability to deliver tasks on time, as well as to multi-task
The ability to work both independently and as part of a team, both in the regional office as
well as with the head office in Geneva
Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English. Good knowledge of one or more South-
East Asian languages is an advantage.
IT skills: Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), internet browser, social
media, video communication tools

Salary and benefits

Salary, worktime, health and travel insurance, pension, medical reimbursement, skills improvement package, and other benefits will be in line with IndustriALL’s regional framework agreement.

Deadline for applications: 7 March, 2025

Please send your application, including CV and motivation letter, by e-mail to the regional secretary, Southeast Asia Office, Ramon Certeza by the deadline. In line with IndustriALL’s gender policy, we encourage applications from female candidates.

After an evaluation, short-listed candidates will be interviewed. The hiring process will be completed by April 2025, and the successful candidate will start working on 1 May 2025

(1) Cross-sectoral matters: OHS, trade, digitalization, artificial intelligence, future of work, climate change, energy transition, Just Transition, supply chains, industrial policy, policy & advocacy research, wage-related matters.

Indonesia unions calling for replacement of Omnibus Law

The Indonesian Constitutional Court accepted 21 of 71 petition points from unions last November and ordered the government to pass a new law within two years. Unions are now planning the next steps in the anti-Omnibus Law campaign.

At the IndustriALL Indonesia unity meeting on 31 January-1 February in Jakarta, the council decided to form a labour law reform team to study remaining Omnibus Law issues.

The team will prepare a list of common demands of IndustriALL affiliates by December and consult legal experts before sharing it with stakeholders. The participants said it is imperative to include IndustriALL affiliates’ demands in the upcoming new labour law.

IndustriALL Indonesia council chairperson Iwan Kusmawan said :

“The anti-Omnibus Law struggle after the constitutional court decision is to monitor the implementation of the court decision, particularly on wage stagnation before the court decision. In 2025, President Prabowo increased the provincial or district minimum wages by 6.5 per cent and set the sectoral minimum wage. We welcome the announcement and promulgation of the new ministerial order on minimum wage 2025.”

On 13 February, IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, wrote to the Indonesian government and urged the president to take immediate action and begin comprehensive consultations with trade unions, including IndustriALL affiliates, to enforce the Constitutional Court’s ruiling and legislate a new employment law. He emphasized that minimum wage covering all workers and sectoral minimum wage be reinstated.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said :

“IndustriALL believes that both the confederation and federation of trade unions should play an active role in fighting the regressive Omnibus law. We will communicate with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to promote the vertical cooperation of trade unions in Indonesia.”

Furthermore, the Indonesia unity meeting recommended setting up an OSH-alarm centre to activate the occupational safety and health department of each affiliate. The participants agreed to improve collective bargaining agreements to protect freedom of association and include just transition provisions.

IndustriALL Indonesia council also committed to increase the participation of women and youth in union structures, women and youth committees and negotiation teams of collective bargaining.

Campaigning Yazaki workers reach favourable agreement after company closes plants in Uruguay

Tripartite negotiations were held between Yazaki, the labour ministry and representatives from the National Union of Metal and Allied Workers (UNTMRA, IndustriALL affiliate in Uruguay), the union federation PIT-CNT and IndustriALL with the aim of reaching an agreement for 1,200 workers who lost their jobs with the sudden closure of the company's two plants in the country.

After intense talks an agreement was reached and then approved by the workers’ assembly. Yazaki agreed to respect its former employees’ right to a final settlement and to grant a once-off severance payment and special unemployment insurance for one year, representing an additional payout of US$3.5 million for workers.

The president of the PIT-CNT, Marcelo Abdala, explained at a press conference held on 12 February, that the agreement also included key provisions to ensure the professional reorientation of workers once the company closes its doors:

“It sets out the possibility for workers to have their employment profiles analysed and to receive training through the National Institute for Employment and Vocational Training and support and advice at various levels, including from the State, the Canelones and Colonia regional authorities and unions, to facilitate labour reintegration, which is so important.”

He explained that Yazaki management also corrected their statements and acknowledged in writing in the agreement that the closure was not due to alleged conflicts with the union, but rather to production costs and competitiveness. The union leader believes that Uruguay's competitive edge should be driven by quality, a genuine increase in productivity and the production capacity of labour:

“For this reason, the PIT-CNT put forward a proposal to the future government to set up a three-way negotiating mechanism involving employers, government and workers. The aim is to establish an industrial policy and diversify the production matrix, laying the foundations for a development strategy that prevents situations like this from occurring.”

At the same time, worker delegates from Yazaki’s Las Piedras and Colonia plants thanked the workers’ movement and neighbours for standing with them, highlighting workers’ struggles and the unity of the people of Uruguay.

IndustriALL Latin America regional secretary, Marino Vani, said:

“We want to congratulate the workers, our affiliate UNTMRA and the PIT-CNT for their campaign, for standing up against the abuses and unilateral dismissals that Yazaki carried out in Uruguay without prior discussions with the workers.
Once again we’ve seen that if we as workers don’t stand up and fight back there would be no dialogue, which is what made this agreement – and the economic and social benefits it provides – possible. Our struggle continues. Only by showing unity and having strong unions can we build dialogue and ensure respect for workers. Otherwise, we will become slaves.”

Photo: PIT-CNT

Binding agreements in global supply chains: strengthening workers’ rights and reducing investor risk

The guidance emerged from investor concerns about the weakness of the prevailing voluntary, for-profit “social auditing” model of supply chain due diligence, and growing interest in the alternative model of binding agreements, such as the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Sector.

Binding agreements have shown promise on multiple levels, from legal accountability to transparency, independent monitoring, and remedy for rights violations. In 2023-2024 IndustriALL organized a series of investor round tables on the topic. Out of this work, a number of investors decided to form a working group under the umbrella of the LRIN, a global investor network focusing on the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Over the past year, the working group – comprising asset managers, asset owners and investment service providers along with IndustriALL and the Committe on Workers' Capital LRIN staff – produced a set of expectations and guidance on supply chain due diligence. The document contains a deep dive on binding agreements and why they show promise not only in addressing labour rights violations in global supply chains but how they may also reduce risks for corporations and their investors.

“We joined the investor working group for reasons of alignment and simplification: it’s important for all investors to be asking the same questions of companies, especially in the area of human rights, which is vast and can cause investors to shy away.
“As investors we can apply a top-down or bottom-up approach on investee companies regarding human rights and payment of living wages, where strengthening freedom of association and collective bargaining through binding agreements is a part of the bottom-up approach. We believe that the best and fastest results can be achieved when we align and simplify the different approaches as much as possible without losing granularity,”

says Petter Forslund of Swedish pension fund AP2.

The guidance aligned well with a key focus of this year’s Forum: making mandatory due diligence legislation work in the sector. Throughout the conference, representatives from multiple sectors – labour, corporations, investors, NGOs and government – spoke of the importance of mandatory human rights due diligence to “level the playing field” for companies, ensure access to remedy for workers and encourage cooperation and coherence in addressing environmental and human rights risks in supply chains.

IndustriALL textile and garment director Christina Hajagos-Clausen says:

“Binding agreements are increasingly important for showing positive change in supply chains. The International Accord, for example, has over 250 signatories and has brought verifiable improvements in building safety, occupational safety and health and grievance mechanisms for workers.”

During the Forum, speakers underscored the importance of binding agreements between labour and corporations: for holding parties accountable on human rights standards, providing robust grievance mechanisms; bringing transparency to supply chain operations; and ensuring meaningful engagement between companies and workers.

“As long-term investors, pension funds engage with companies on their due diligence processes, and we want to use our leverage most effectively. Recent research shows that binding agreements can lead to better due diligence results that in turn can have financially material returns for our investments,”

says Fransje Puts of MN, an asset manager for Dutch pension funds.

The guidance and expectations document is a practical tool to guide investors on supply chain due diligence, particularly in the garment and textile sector, where binding agreements are most developed. It outlines evidence and arguments for why binding agreements – which are designed to address sectoral problems – bring benefits to workers, companies and investors that voluntary initiatives such as social audits are not designed to generate. The document’s engagement guide provides investors with key questions to ask companies, as well as a section on “anticipating company responses.” Investors will now road-test the guidance, with a plan to reconvene later this year to share their experiences.