What should the brands do?

- Supplier's perspective, ETI

 

Social audits can be valuable, if they are conducted in a credible way. That means frequent, unannounced audits; it means using gender-sensitive, rigorous, off-site interviews; it means involving trade unions and NGOs in the auditing process.  But audits remain only one small part of ensuring workers' rights. To truly determine working conditions means giving workers a voice. Freedom of association within a mature system of industrial relations remains the most powerful tool we have to verify working conditions, as it creates an environment in which workers are able to express their concerns with confidence. 

 

Other useful tools include: long-term partnerships with local trade unions and NGOs; grievance and complaints mechanisms; education and training; addressing existing business or purchasing practices; effective remediation; increased transparency.

Companies also have to make it clear that they are prepared to support factory managements to raise conditions, and ultimately pay more if it means workers will receive a living wage: when factory managements threaten workers that they will lose their jobs if they tell auditors what they are really paid, there is some truth in their argument - buyers may well be more likely to relocate elsewhere than to stump up to ensure workers receive decent pay. 

It's also important to ask what companies do with their audit results: do they simply file them away, or do they have an effective system to correct the faults they find?

So buyers need to:

• Put in place a system of regular, unannounced audits, for all their suppliers.
• Involve comprehensive worker interviews in these audits, as well as local trade unions and NGOs.
• Ensure that supplier managements implement the necessary corrective measures when audits show up problems.
• Put in place complaints mechanisms so workers can raise concerns at other times.
• Take a pro-active approach to freedom of association, including setting up worker training by local trade unions and NGOs.
• Disclose their factory lists publicly or to global union federations, and negotiate access or neutrality agreements with trade unions.Work collaboratively with factory managements to raise standards, and create incentives for improved working conditions.

 

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