global supply chains

ITF policy puts decent jobs for young transport workers at the heart of supply chains

Mark_D — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:27:09 +0000

ITF policy puts decent jobs for young transport workers at the heart of supply chains

The ITF’s Youth Employment and Decent Work in Supply Chains policy sets an authoritative framework for ensuring decent jobs throughout supply chains

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has launched its policy on Youth Employment and Decent Work in Supply Chains to support affiliated trade unions, young transport workers and employers in taking practical steps to ensure decent jobs for young workers.

The policy, which includes a practical checklist and monitoring indicators, is the result of the work of the ITF Young Transport Workers’ Committee and was endorsed by the ITF Executive Board in Berlin last week.

“This policy reflects the voices, experiences and priorities of young transport workers across the organisation,” said Nick Loridan, Co‑Chair of the ITF Young Transport Workers’ Committee and member of the ITF Supply Chain Accountability Working Group.

“It combines strong principles with practical tools to help unions and employers promote youth employment and create decent jobs for young workers, whether they are already in the sector or entering the transport industry.”

The policy sets out clear principles and actions to improve access to decent jobs, ensure job security, and improve health and safety, equality, and career development for young transport workers. It also outlines ways to strengthen collaboration between unions, employers and policymakers, alongside identifying priority areas for action and wider policy measures for adoption in order to ensure the long-term success of youth employment strategies.

The policy includes a checklist outlining concrete steps employers can take on recruitment, training, retention, safety, wellbeing and inclusion to promote quality youth employment across supply chains.

Crucially, it also includes monitoring indicators, specifically designed to help trade unions, employers and stakeholders track progress, measure impact and strengthen accountability on youth employment and decent work outcomes for young workers.

ITF Director of Young Transport Workers, Baker Khundakji, said: “We encourage all young transport workers and ITF‑affiliated unions to actively use this policy, the checklist and the indicators to organise and educate young workers, negotiate collective bargaining agreements and workplace policies, hold employers accountable, and to work together to promote decent work for young transport workers across supply chains.”

The full policy, checklist and indicators are available here.

Mark_D 22 Apr 2026

supply chain

global supply chains

human rights

labour rights

National flag ships vital for national security

Mark_D — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:45:43 +0000

National flag ships vital for national security

ITF report shows maritime cabotage policies are a necessary safeguard for national security and supply chain resilience

National security and strong national maritime policies go hand in hand – that is the message of the International Transport Workers’ Federation’s (ITF) new briefing on domestic maritime policies.

Drawing on examples from Australia, Brazil, Canada and the USA, Domestic Maritime Policies: a Focus on National Security outlines that national flag shipping and ‘cabotage’ – the reservation of a country’s domestic maritime commerce for its own citizens – is vital for maintaining supply chain resilience and, in turn, national security.

The importance of maritime cabotage policies is reflected in their wide uptake around the world. Seafarers’ Rights International research published this month shows that 105 states, approximately 85% of the world’s countries, currently have cabotage laws or policies in place – an increase on 91 countries in 2018.

Chris Given, President of the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada and the ITF Cabotage Task Force Chair, said: “Cabotage policies promote fair market competition, help ensure the retention of a qualified workforce, and create thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities.

“Simply put, it is in our national interest to ensure that we can transport goods and people without reliance on a non-national carrier or a non-national workforce.”

The ITF briefing outlines that in periods of crisis or conflict, maritime states must maintain a national fleet of vessels and trained seafarers to enable and support transportation operations.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, reliance on non-national carriers impacted by changed shipping schedules, delays and freight rates only worsened severe supply chain disruption: national fleet capacity could have enabled impacted states to effectively operate autonomously.

“Autonomy over supply chains forms an integral part of any successful national economic and national security policy,” said David Heindel, President of the Seafarers’ International Union USA and Chair of the ITF Seafarers’ Section.

“We have always had a safeguard in both the USA and Canada in that our national shipping industries are bolstered through the Jones Act in the United States and the Coasting Trade Act in Canada: cabotage ensures that we are better equipped to weather these storms in times of disruption. And, because they are a common-sense approach to ensuring that coastal nations retain the capacity to move their own goods and people, these policies are now the norm and not the exception.”

The briefing makes a number of recommendations to governments. These include considering cabotage and national flag fleets as critical to national security; ensuring that critical cargoes such as fuel, food and medical supplies can be transported by national flag vessels; ensuring that sufficient domestic tonnage and qualified labour is available for national flag ships to operate in periods of crisis; and a call to NATO members to strengthen their merchant navies.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Domestic Maritime Policies: a Focus on National Security is available here.
Seafarers’ Rights International’s 2025 Cabotage Laws of the World report is available here.

Mark_D 15 Oct 2025

ASOS and ITF team up to protect workers’ rights with new transport supply chain agreement

Mark_D — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:13:05 +0000

ASOS and ITF team up to protect workers’ rights with new transport supply chain agreement

Landmark deal extends ASOS’ commitment to workers’ rights into global transport and logistics.

ASOS, the global fashion destination, has signed a legally-binding agreement with global trade union federation, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), to protect transport workers’ rights and enhance the safety, resilience and sustainability of its supply chains.

The partnership builds on ASOS’ long-standing leadership in embedding human rights across its business and supply chains, extending this commitment into transport and logistics.

Under a legally-binding human rights due diligence (HRDD) agreement, ASOS and the ITF will cooperate in conducting HRDD in ASOS’ transport operations and logistics, ensuring respect for human rights and sustainability throughout ASOS’ supply chains. ITF will support ASOS in its HRDD policy design, the identification, avoidance and mitigation of risk, and the determination of remedies if rights are violated.

ASOS and ITF will also engage with ASOS' brand partners to share resources and educational tools on HRDD relating to transport and logistics.

ITF General Secretary, Stephen Cotton, said: “ASOS has been leading the charge from businesses that demand better protection for people and planet through human rights due diligence. So, we’re delighted to team up with ASOS in order to raise the bar globally for the transport workers who keep our world moving.

“Agreements like this are helping the ITF to shift the dial on the protection of transport workers’ rights. But we can only do this in tandem with pioneering, progressive businesses like ASOS, who are ready to push far beyond the minimum of what’s legally required of them.”

ASOS and the ITF will also work together on climate change and gender equality – key issues affecting transport and logistics workers in both directly operated and subcontracted transport operations in ASOS’ global supply chain.

ASOS Chief Executive Officer, José Antonio Ramos Calamonte, said: “Enhancing the human rights of everyone involved in our value chain – from designing and making clothes, to warehousing, shipping and delivery – has been a core mission for ASOS for close to a decade. Our new agreement with ITF will enable us to take our work even further and extend our action to protecting and improving the human rights of workers in our transport and logistics supply chain, reducing risk and improving supply chain resilience while delivering positive change for the people supporting our business.”

Under the agreement, the following key elements will form the basis of the conduct of HRDD in ASOS’ transport operations and logistics:

Meeting or exceeding the policies and practises outlined in the ITF Supply Chain Human Rights Principles and the ITF’s Eight Principles for Decent Work in Warehousing, Distribution and Logistics
A monitoring and compliance mechanism based on worker-centred HRDD approaches, including the ITF’s HRDD Guidance
Providing for or cooperating in remediation for rights violations, including when appropriate through collective bargaining with the ITF and/or its affiliated trade union members
Creating an enabling environment for mature industrial relations in ASOS’ own operations and supply chains; where possible, granting the ITF and its affiliates access to transport and logistics suppliers and workplaces within ASOS’ supply chains

In addition, ASOS will consider the ITF as a ‘stakeholder’ for any relevant legislation, as regards the human rights of transport and logistics workers in ASOS’ directly operated and subcontracted supply chain transport operations. ASOS also commits, where possible, to join the ITF in its national and international advocacy for high standards in transport supply chains.

“There’s no doubt that ASOS is leading the way in ensuring rights are protected in the ‘goods not for resale’ (GNFR) part of its supply chain,” added Cotton. “Many businesses are far too slow at prioritising GNFR and what it can mean for protecting millions of workers worldwide from rights abuses. But when a retailer like ASOS takes a lead on this, it sends a clear message for other business to step up to the plate.”

Notes

Under the terms of the agreement, ASOS and the ITF will form a joint technical working group which will meet twice-yearly to ensure that the mutual responsibilities and goals of the agreement are met
ASOS is one of 50 business and investors to call for a new UK human rights due diligence law, see here
See here for the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; here for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct; here for the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy; here for the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
See here to access the ITF’s Supply Chain Human Rights Principles
See here to access the ITF’s Maritime HRDD Guidance
See here for the ITF’s supply chain due diligence agreement with TFG Group, and here for the ITF’s agreement with New Look

About ASOS: Founded in 2000, ASOS has 18m active customers in over 200 markets. We bring fashion lovers around the world the best and most relevant fashion through our unique own brands including ASOS DESIGN, ARRANGE, COLLUSION, Topshop, and Topman, styled with the most exciting products from local and global partner brands. With our expert in-house design team and agile and flexible commercial model, including ASOS Fulfilment Services, Partner Fulfils, and Test & React, we make the latest trends accessible to all and give customers the confidence to be whoever they want to be.

About the ITF: The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a democratic, affiliate-led federation of transport workers’ unions recognised as the world’s leading transport authority. We fight passionately to improve working lives, connecting trade unions and workers’ networks from 147 countries to secure rights, equality and justice for their members. We are the voice of 16.5 million transport workers who move the world.

Media contact, ITF: Mark Dearn +44 7738 832 413 media@itf.org.uk

Media contact, ASOS: press@asos.com

Mark_D 08 Sep 2025

DHL Protocol

etheridge_rennie@itf.org.uk — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:50:17 +0000

DHL Protocol etheridge_renn… 03 Jun 2025

The DHL Protocol covers all transport and logistics workers at DHL globally. This page will help you understand what the DHL Protocol is, how to use it, and why it’s a vital tool for organising and bargaining.

The Protocol is a set of key principles agreed by the DHL Group, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and UNI Global Union (UNI). It establishes the global relationship between the three parties and serves as a framework for navigating and resolving industrial issues with DHL at a global level. The Protocol was first signed in July 2016 and has since been renewed in 2019, 2022 and 2024.

DHL commits to the implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. In particular, DHL acknowledges the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Therefore, the Protocol is an important tool for strengthening local dialogue between DHL management and unions around the world.

At the ITF Congress in Marrakech in October 2024, the ITF adopted an ambitious Supply Chain Accountability Programme, which provides guidance for governments, companies, investors and other stakeholders looking to meaningfully engage with transport unions to check and improve standards in their supply chains. In our work to implement the Protocol with our affiliated unions, we use these principles to strengthen DHL's HRDD processes at all levels.

Our priority is to make the Protocol work for our affiliated unions and their members working at DHL by:

> Improving the rights, safety and standards for all DHL workers

> Supporting affiliated unions in their organising and bargaining campaigns at DHL

> Enforcing the DHL's human rights due diligence responsibilities globally

Unions play a key role in enforcing the Protocol and holding DHL accountable for ensuring decent standards, pay and conditions for all its workers, whether directly employed or working in its supply chain.

If your union represents DHL workers or you would like more information about the DHL Protocol, please get in touch at DHLProtocolSupport@itf.org.uk or use the form to sign up.

DHL

global supply chains

supply chain

Delivery Hero’s hidden risks: why investors must act now

Rosalyn Smith — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:07:08 +0000

Delivery Hero’s hidden risks: why investors must act now

As Delivery Hero heads into its 18 June AGM today, investors face a pressing question: is the company’s business model sustainable, or is it a ticking ESG time bomb?

With operations in 70 countries, under an umbrella of 298 companies, and nearly 850,000 riders in its value chain, Delivery Hero is one of the world’s largest food delivery groups by revenue and active users.

But behind the convenience of app-based meal delivery lies an industry increasingly defined by legal uncertainty, algorithmic control, and worker exploitation. That is no longer just a social issue, it’s an investor risk. Questions must be urgently addressed to understand how the current business model affects workers and whether this model is actually sustainable.

Misclassification is a ticking time bomb

For years, unions have been flagging that online platforms regularly misclassify workers as “independent contractors” to deny them rights and benefits, despite controlling the work that they are doing. Why does this matter to investors? Because the company’s business model depends on classifying riders as self-employed contractors, a strategy that cuts costs but exposes Delivery Hero to mounting legal, regulatory, and reputational risk.

Delivery Hero admits in its own 2024 Corporate Report that "a key challenge of the delivery industry is the legal status of riders." It lists this as its top strategic risk. And with good reason: the group has already lost misclassification cases in Spain and Italy, and more litigation is likely.

Investors in Europe should also take note: the newly passed EU Platform Work Directive and the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) create a legal landscape in which worker classification – and how companies treat those in their supply chain if there are already clear indications of labour rights risks – will become core compliance and reporting requirements. And for the first time on the 4 June, countries at the International Labour Organization voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strong international Convention on platform work, during its first year of discussions.

The algorithm is boss

Across Delivery Hero brands – from Glovo in Spain to Baedal Minjok in South Korea – platform workers report being penalised or deactivated by algorithms without clear explanation or appeal. Riders who reject dangerous jobs in bad weather risk being downgraded or cut off entirely. Their livelihoods can disappear in a click. Any human rights due diligence approach needs to include a ban on unfair deactivations – with written explanations, human review, and access to appeal.

This isn’t just a labour issue, it’s a transparency problem and a governance red flag. Algorithmic management needs proper oversight. If Delivery Hero can’t demonstrate fair and explainable use of data and AI, it risks backlash not only from regulators but also from consumers and ESG benchmarks.

Transparency, consultation, and bargaining rights should be in place before algorithms are deployed. Given that these platforms collect massive amounts of personal data, the workers generating it should have full data rights – including access, correction, portability of personal data, and protection from misuse or profiling.

Are workers safe, and what is the company doing to protect riders?

In 2024, Delivery Hero set a shockingly low target: reduce rider accident rates by just 7% compared to 2023. For a company whose frontline workforce numbers nearly a million people, this is not a serious safety goal – it’s hard for unions not to be deeply cynical about such a KPI. On one hand, it concerns the daily risk of injury, disability, or death for riders constantly exposed to traffic, pollution, extreme heat, and dangerous weather. On the other, it unlocks fat bonus packages for top executives.

Framing such a marginal improvement as progress is not just unambitious, i reveals a staggering disconnect between the lived realities of riders and the priorities of those in the boardroom. Investors must demand far more credible and ambitious targets.

Turkish and Argentine unions have already documented rising accident rates. Riders in Uganda have flagged up how the self-employed model leaves them without sick or holiday pay, while most of the money they do make goes on expenses like maintenance, equipment and fuel. These are the ‘hidden costs’ of platform work.

Transparency starts with recognition

Brand is key in this fast-moving consumer market. But the reality is that Delivery Hero has a fragmented brand structure – Glovo, Foodora, PedidosYa, Talabat, and more – that hides the true scale and structure of its workforce.

This opacity shields the group from accountability and complicates oversight. Customers may not be aware that all of these brands are in fact owned by the same group. The same is true of the riders and delivery drivers who may not know who is ultimately benefitting from their work.

Across all of its 11 Delivery Hero brands, riders are united behind one message: deliver #Rights4Riders everywhere the company operates. From South Korea to Spain, they are calling for safe conditions, a living wage, fair algorithms, and the right to organise. Delivery Hero must meet them at the table.

The bottom line - Investors cannot look away

If Delivery Hero wants to maintain its leadership in a sector facing global regulatory pressure, it needs to change. And shareholders – pension funds, asset managers and other institutional investors – have the power and responsibility to push it there. If investors are serious about ESG and meeting their own human rights due diligence commitments, now is the time to act. That means:

Demanding full disclosure of rider classification and labour conditions across all brands.
Demanding full social protections for all riders regardless of their classification and across all brands.
Requiring transparent algorithms with safeguards against unfair deactivation.
Calling for union engagement and collective bargaining in every market.
Insisting on meaningful safety targets and real investment in risk prevention.

Investors must also push for stronger KPIs that tie executive remuneration to real-world outcomes, not just marginal improvements. The company has said it wants to "Raise the Bar." It's time to prove it.

Rider’s demands

Riders around the world have united behind four clear, non-negotiable demands that Delivery Hero must meet to guarantee safe, fair and dignified work for everyone on its platforms.

Fair pay: Pay us a living wage – including pay for every minute we work, including waiting time.
Safer work: Take responsibility for workplace injuries and protecting us from violence and harassment.
Algorithmic transparency: Consult and negotiate with us on how algorithms assign work, evaluate performance and set pay.
Right’s at work: Respect our fundamental rights to join a union and collectively bargain.

Rosalyn Smith 18 Jun 2025

ITF launches global standards to protect warehouse workers, backed by global logistics company

Rosalyn Smith — Tue, 27 May 2025 15:45:05 +0000

ITF launches global standards to protect warehouse workers, backed by global logistics company

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has launched the world’s first global standards for decent work in warehousing, distribution, and logistics, a major step towards raising the floor for millions of workers across global supply chains.

The "8 Principles for Decent Work" set out clear, enforceable benchmarks for safety, fair employment, dignity, and rights at work. These new standards are a blueprint for a sector that has grown exponentially due to e-commerce but remains plagued by low standards, unsafe conditions, short-term employment contracts, and inhumane algorithmic control.

“Warehousing is no longer just storage, it’s the engine room of the global economy,” said Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the ITF. “But the workers who keep goods moving are too often invisible and exploited. These principles are a call to action for companies, governments, and consumers to raise the bar and protect those powering the global supply chain.”

Matt Draper, ITF’s Warehousing Distribution & Logistics Chair, said: “These principles are a turning point for warehouse workers everywhere. For too long, this sector has relied on a hidden workforce facing dangerous conditions, low pay, and zero job security. The ITF’s new global standards give workers a voice, a path to decent pay, and a way to hold their employers accountable. This is about lifting standards across the board.”

Backed by major global company

Global logistics firm SeSé México – with over 1 billion Euros in annual turnover – is the first company to sign onto the new framework, committing to integrate the principles into their operations and pilot implementation in key warehousing hubs.

A spokesperson for SeSé México said, "At Sesé México, adhering to the "8 Principles for Decent Work" is not just an obligation, but a way of life at work, where the well-being of employees, and therefore of the company itself, is taken into account. Thus, we form a family with values that are evident in every activity. We are grateful for this recognition, which inspires us to continue respecting the principles that ensure decent and dignified work."

The 8 principles for decent work include:

Fundamental principles and rights at work: Grounded in the ILO Declaration, ensuring freedom of association, non-discrimination, and a safe working environment.
Safe jobs: Identifying and managing workplace hazards and ensuring worker participation in health and safety planning.
Secure and decent jobs: Advocating for stable, full-time employment, living wages, social protection, and fair scheduling.
Harassment and violence-free workplaces: Mandating strong anti-violence policies, gender-responsive redress mechanisms, and safe commuting.
Responsible use of technology: Calling for algorithmic transparency, limits on surveillance, and collective consultation on tech deployment.
Just Transition for climate-ready warehousing: Integrating decarbonisation with job security and resilience planning.
Freedom of association and collective bargaining: Reaffirming the right to unionise and negotiate, even in restrictive jurisdictions.
Effective grievance mechanisms: Promoting accessible, equitable, and rights-based redress systems with continuous learning and transparency.

These principles were developed through extensive consultation with warehouse workers and their unions. They draw on existing international labour standards, ensuring standards are both realistic and enforceable.

The ITF’s warehousing programme focuses on four pillars: securing employer commitments through collective bargaining, advocating for government regulation, educating workers, and holding companies accountable across supply chains.

“A stable and ethical supply chain is simply not possible without decent work,” added Cotton.

“With more than 150 million workers globally in warehousing, logistics and transport, the ITF’s new standard has the potential to transform lives, and the supply chain stability that economies rely on.”

Notes

With over 16.5 million members represented across more than 730 trade unions in 150+ countries, the ITF is championing these principles in response to growing concerns over exploitation and unsafe conditions within the warehousing sector, an industry under pressure from rapid e-commerce expansion and just-in-time delivery expectations.

Rosalyn Smith 27 May 2025

ITF: European Commission’s new ‘Omnibus’ guts sustainability package

Rosalyn Smith — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 09:59:29 +0000

ITF: European Commission’s new ‘Omnibus’ guts sustainability package

EU Commission slashes rules designed to hold companies accountable for key human rights and environmental abuses in their supply chains.

The European Commission has announced deep cuts to its environmental and human rights reporting and due diligence standards exempting thousands of businesses from complying with public reporting requirements, with potentially dire consequences for workers across the world.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) currently require companies to take action on due diligence in relation to human rights and environmental impact.

“This is a thinly disguised roll-back on workers’ rights under the pretext of slashing red tape and cutting costs”

But under the new Omnibus I package, the CSRD and the CSDDD face significant roll-backs, reducing the requirements for companies with less than 1,000 employees and a €450million turnover to monitor, report and address environmental and human rights abuses in their global supply chains.

Crucially, the changes to the due diligence rules create huge loopholes allowing businesses to only look at direct suppliers, where previously they were expected to monitor their entire supply chain including chains of sub-contracting.

By restricting the reach of due diligence laws, thousands of companies will have no obligation to identify, monitor and tackle potential abuses beyond their immediate contracts.

“This is a thinly disguised roll-back on workers’ rights under the pretext of slashing red tape and cutting costs” said Stephen Cotton, ITF’s General Secretary. “Hard-won labour rights safeguards are being watered down in response to corporate lobbying. By allowing corporations to act with impunity, the EU is effectively selling its own citizens down the river.”

“Despite warnings from trade unions and responsible businesses, the Commission moved forward with this proposal without proper transparency” said Livia Spera, General Secretary of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF). “Scaling back sustainability laws won’t solve structural problems; it risks undermining European values and workers' rights."

Under the existing legislation, the rules apply to listed companies with as few as 50 employees and annual turnover of €8 million from 2026.

Other proposed amendments to the CSDDD include:

Gutting of the civil liability regime
New limits on stakeholder engagement
Removal of the obligation to terminate a business relationship where all other efforts to address rights violations have failed
Reduction in climate action obligations
Reducing the frequency of periodic due diligence assessments

Without enforceable regulations protecting labour rights, vulnerable supply chain workers will be subject to abuse and exploitation while European businesses turn profit.

“This is wholesale deregulation which will significantly weaken protections for people and the planet. Responsible businesses and investors will find it harder to drive progress across their industries while unscrupulous corporations will now have a free pass to operate without consequences” added Cotton.

The ITF joins calls to the European Parliament and Council to reject the new proposal.

Rosalyn Smith 28 Feb 2025

Data analytics in action: how ITF Inspectorate data holds companies responsible for protecting rights in maritime supply chains

Mark_D — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:05:01 +0000

Data analytics in action: how ITF Inspectorate data holds companies responsible for protecting rights in maritime supply chains

Comment article by Seth Payer, Head of Data and Research at the International Transport Workers' Federation

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has a unique and powerful influence on the wages and conditions of seafarers working on Flag of Convenience ships, through negotiating ITF agreements with shipowners.

ITF’s Inspectorate – made up of 133 Inspectors covering more than 120 ports across 59 countries – police and enforce these agreements. They can legally board a vessel with an ITF agreement to carry out an inspection to check that the terms and conditions of the agreement are being complied with. Inspections are also carried out on vessels without at ITF agreement and seafarers/crew can reach out to any ITF Inspector.

ITF Inspectors educate seafarers about their human and trade union rights. In 2023, ITF Inspectors completed over 10,500 inspections/cases, supporting thousands of seafarers on a varying number of issues including wage claims, repatriation, medical, lack of food and water cases, among others.

Inspectors are trained to look for exploitation, hours of work/rest – even for signs of forced labour, human trafficking and modern slavery.

Information from each inspection is stored in a global database with over 15 years of data and nearly 200,000 inspection reports.

The global database holds information on problems faced by seafarers, including unsafe vessels, poor safety practices, unpaid wages, poor on-board conditions, fatigue, criminalisation and abandonment.

Combined with data related to vessels and trade, this information equates to hundreds of millions of rows of data points and around five terabytes of data.

New skills in data management, processing and interpretation are used to aggregate and analyse this data set.

The collection and analysis of this inspectorate data sits at the heart of the ITF’s approach to Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD). The ITF’s HRDD model is based around the internationally recognised principles of identification, prevention and mitigation of human rights abuses, particularly within the maritime industry.

The Inspectorate data also sits behind analysis that forms the foundation of the ‘ITF Rights Check’. The confidential ITF Rights Check informs companies of any violations of standards throughout companies’ maritime supply chains and specifically on ships carrying their cargo, and establishes a dialogue between the company and the ITF on prevention and mitigation of further human rights abuses.

ITF Inspectorate data provides real-time insights into compliance with labour standards, wages, working conditions, and other relevant factors that directly impact seafarers' well-being. There is no other organisation generating similar data or doing similar work.

This data plays a crucial role in the ITF’s HRDD approach within the maritime industry, and it is pivotal in ensuring that companies comply with international labour standards and regulatory requirements. By regularly monitoring and analysing inspectorate data, companies can assess their performance against established benchmarks, identify areas of non-compliance, and take corrective actions to address deficiencies.

Cooperation agreements between the ITF and cargo-owning companies based on data-driven approaches will allow companies to demonstrate due diligence in their supply chain management practices, mitigating legal and reputational risks associated with human and labour rights violations. By working with the ITF on their efforts to monitor, prevent, and address labour rights abuses, companies can enhance transparency and improve standards for seafarers.

As mandated reporting requirements increase, the importance of this data will increase. By harnessing the power of inspectorate data and advanced analytics, the ITF is generating valuable insights into labour conditions. These insights are driving meaningful change and will ensure not only that companies comply with international labour standards, but also that the rights of the seafarers who move our world are respected.

Mark_D 15 Apr 2024

Workers’ rights to receive major boost from EU supply chain Directive

Mark_D — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 18:08:51 +0000

Workers’ rights to receive major boost from EU supply chain Directive

Transport union federations ETF and ITF welcome Friday’s bittersweet breakthrough on due diligence Directive

The vote by EU states in favour of the bloc’s supply chain accountability Directive will dramatically improve the lives of millions of workers in the supply chains of businesses operating in the EU – say the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which will mandate the conduct of ‘human rights due diligence’ (HRDD) for thousands of companies, is a landmark step forward in regulating corporate supply chains.

But, while representing a significant breakthrough and the unblocking of a worrying political stalemate, the CSDDD was severely weakened under EU Member State lobbying – with the resulting Directive left far weaker than originally intended, covering far fewer companies and workers.

“While we celebrate this landmark law that gives the possibility of holding large corporations accountable for their global operations, the fight is far from over,” said ETF General Secretary Livia Spera.

“We particularly regret that the Directive was diluted and weakened because of the initial backlash. Only a fraction of EU companies will be covered by the new rules; and there is a noticeable lack of a strong and clearly outlined role and mandate for trade unions in enforcing due diligence.

“The transport sector is particularly affected by large supply chains that abuse subcontracting and evade existing labour laws. A recent example is the Grafenhausen strikes, where hundreds of third-country nationals went on strike in Germany after months of not receiving payments despite transporting goods for major multinational companies.”

She added: “While we underline the need for improvement in the mandatory and legally binding due diligence in the EU, we welcome this first step towards targeting corporate impunity, and call on authorities to effectively implement the Directive.”

ITF General Secretary, Stephen Cotton said: “This Directive should mark the beginning of the end of an era of corporate impunity for the labour rights violations workers suffer in corporate supply chains.

“For far too long, laws have failed to keep pace with how business operates. Countries have instead relied on corporate voluntarism and corporate social responsibility - this has failed, and it is workers, often transport workers, who have paid the price.

“It is a great shame that only 0.05% of all EU companies will be covered by the Directive. This is a missed opportunity, and EU states should commit to go much further than this, and protect more workers, in their domestic laws.”

The Directive is a direct result of many years of trade union pressure.

Similarly, the obligation for trade unions and workers' representatives to be involved in the development and implementation of effective due diligence policies, plans and strategies in companies, their subsidiaries and throughout the supply chain, was not included in the original proposal from the European Commission – its inclusion in the Directive is due to trade union pressure.

Due to its unique ability to offer a worker-centred analysis of human rights abuses at sea, in 2023 the ITF published Supply Chain Principles setting out how governments, investors, multinational enterprises and transport supply chain customers must cooperate with the ITF and its affiliates to ensure they are safe, fair and sustainable. It then published human rights due diligence guidance for companies setting out how brands and other cargo owners can fulfil their obligations to seafarers through effective human rights due diligence.

In March 2023, TFG Brands London - owner of brands including Hobbs and Whistles – signed a landmark agreement with the ITF with measures to protect transport workers’ rights. Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), both parties will work together to examine labour rights risks across all directly operated and subcontracted transportation operations by TFG, and respond in line with relevant international standards.

Picture credit: Reuters, Yves Herman

ENDS

ETF Media contact: Rodrigo Rivera +32 491 37 26 41 r.rivera@etf-europe.org

ITF Media contact: Mark Dearn +44 7738 832 413 media@itf.org.uk

Notes

For more information on the Grafenhausen strikes, see here – ETF: Gräfenhausen strikers demonstrate that supply chain accountability is possible through workers’ solidarity.
Trade union analysis of the European Commission’s original Directive is available here: A Missed Opportunity to Improve Workers' Rights in Global Supply Chains - Opinio Juris.
The ITF publication Respecting the human rights of seafarers in global supply chains is available here. Guidance for companies includes: an introductory meeting to set out worker-centred HRDD approaches in transport and logistics supply chains; a confidential ITF Rights Check to identify risks and human rights abuses of seafarers on ships carrying cargo; a dialogue with the ITF on risks and mitigation; an ITF cooperation agreement to work together to prevent and remedy human rights abuses.
The ITF’s Supply Chain Principles are available here.
More information on the ITF’s 2023 agreement with TFG Group is available here.

Mark_D 19 Mar 2024

Hobbs and Whistles owner first to commit to human rights due diligence across transport supply chain

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:36:11 +0000

Hobbs and Whistles owner first to commit to human rights due diligence across transport supply chain

TFG Brands London signs landmark agreement with the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
TFG, owner of brands including Hobbs and Whistles, is the first fashion company to institute a raft of measures to protect transport workers’ rights.

LONDON — The fashion group which owns brands including Hobbs and Whistles, has signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), to co-operate on preventing, mitigating and addressing human rights risks for transport workers in its supply chain.

TFG is an online and retail fashion group comprising Hobbs, Whistles, Phase Eight and Inside Story. It is the first fashion retailer to partner with ITF, to cooperate on attempts to eradicate labour rights abuses from its entire supply chain – including shipping, freight, and warehouse workers.

Many fashion companies are making sustainability commitments, but labour violations and worker exploitation in the supply chain are often facilitated by subcontractors that fly under the radar of typical corporate due diligence structures. According to a recent investigation, freight subcontractors in Europe exploited a lack of checks and controls during the pandemic, resulting in many drivers being paid as little as €100-600 per month for weeks full of 48-hour non-stop shifts.

Negligence in accurately assessing a supply chain for human rights due diligence leaves companies vulnerable to financial and reputational damage, as a commitment to ethical working practices is the third most important suitability factor to consumers.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between TFG and ITF will see both parties work together to examine labour rights risks across all directly operated and subcontracted transportation operations by TFG, and respond in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and ITF’s Supply Chain Principles.

TFG has also committed to meaningfully engage with the union throughout the entire transport-related human rights due diligence process, and the MOU establishes a technical working group with ITF.

The impact assessment done by ITF as part of the MOU provides TFG with a more accurate picture of its supply chain, and especially its transport workers’ working conditions. ITF conducts quantitative on-the-ground analysis, speaking to workers across the supply chain about their lived experiences.

Governments are increasing their scrutiny of exploitation in the supply chain. In 2021, Germany passed the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and Norway, the Netherlands, and France also have similar laws. The EU is deliberating over an even more robust Supply Chain Law, that was introduced in February 2022.

TFG has already implemented heightened standards for working conditions across its supply chain. Throughout Covid-19, TFG ensured that seafarers aboard vessels that moved their goods were able to crew change safely in line with their contracts. TFG led in this approach, at a time when some crews found themselves trapped on board vessels for over 24 months, as much as 15 months over contract.

Steve Cotton, General Secretary of ITF commented:

“Everything we own is carried to our doorstep or to our local store by a transportation worker. But the exploitation which occurs on a daily basis along the supply chain is unconscionable, especially by brands who market themselves as ‘sustainable.’ Unchecked, these practices will have huge financial and reputational consequences for sustainable-first fashion brands.

”TFG London has taken the bold and necessary steps to address the human rights issues that occur from factory to customer. We commend their leadership and encourage all brands to work with unions to expose the unseen human and labour rights abuses in their supply chains.”

Justin Hampshire, Chief Executive, TFG Brands London commented:

“ITF has been an invaluable partner of TFG London since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, initially collaborating to address the seafarers’ humanitarian crisis and helping to shine a light on an area of our supply chain where we had limited visibility.

“TFG London is very pleased to sign this joint MOU, setting out a cooperation framework focusing on identifying, mitigating, and addressing transport-related risks in our supply chains. We also hope that our support for ITF will in a small way, contribute to improving global working conditions and encourage other industry peers to engage further.”

----

About TFG: TFG London is part of The Foschini Group Limited (TFG), a leading South African retail business. TFG entered the UK market in 2015 with the acquisition of Phase Eight, Whistles, Hobbs and the addition of Inside Story to our impressive portfolio of the most successful, premium womenswear and homeware brands in the UK.

Anonymous (not verified) 29 Mar 2023