NEW: Electronics Watch Principles on Worker-Driven Remedy

Everyone who suffers harm has a right to an effective remedy. However, workers in global supply chains who suffer business-related human and labour rights abuses often receive no remediation, even when there is evidence of harm. For example, there is often no medical care for workers suffering long-term health impacts from harmful chemicals, no financial compensation for wage theft, no social or psychological support for sexual abuse. Workers may not even get an apology for harm caused. In cases when some form of remedy is provided, it is usually companies that decide what remedy they will provide, and workers are not consulted. Remedy should be provided as a right, based on international human rights law and international labour standards and have workers at its core. The importance of rights-holder involvement in remedy is widely recognised.

These newly updated 10-point Principles define the Electronics Watch approach to worker-driven remedy, setting out the requirements of effective remedy processes and outcomes. Electronics Watch will provide support for public buyer affiliates to implement the principles in their supply chains. The principles are based on the legal research and analysis by Martina Trugnach and Olga Martin-Ortega, and published in “Remedy For Human Rights Violations In Global Supply Chains” which establishes a framework for the remediation process and defines the outcomes of remedy according to international human rights law. Following two consultations with trade unions and civil society organisations in Malaysia in May and November 2022, we distilled the framework into a set of principles of worker-driven remedy. Participants included IndustriALL, the global union, and its affiliates; UNISON, the UK public sector union; Tenaganita, Electronics Watch monitoring partner in Malaysia; Serve the People Association, our monitoring partner in Taiwan; and other Malaysian civil society organisations. In parallel, together with the Danish Institute for Human Rights and BHRE, Electronics Watch organised a two-day training and workshop on access to remedy and remediation for human rights abuses in public procurement. Participants included public buyers and procurement professionals from local, regional, national, and international bodies. Drawing on real labour rights cases and video testimonials from workers and their advocates, participants identified challenges to and opportunities for driving remedy for rights violations in global supply chains through public procurement. The resulting ideas provide a basis for developing a roadmap for change. These included remedy-specific award criteria, a guide for engaging suppliers on remedy, further workshops and trainings for public buyers, and a platform for information sharing on remedy-related best practices, among others.

To raise industry awareness of remedy and why it is needed, Electronics Watch also held an Introduction to Worker-Driven Remedy event following the RBA Annual Conference in October. Highlighting the new Principles, the two-hour session started with a film of worker testimony from Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, calling for remedy. Panellists discussed the basis for remedy in international human rights law, the demand for remedy in public procurement, and practical steps companies can take to provide remedy. They explored issues facing migrant workers and what remedy might look like for them, as well as for workers harmed by toxic chemicals used in the electronics industry. They also highlighted how the Swedish Regions are driving respect for workers' rights in global supply chains with a new contract clause requiring remedy, and how this practice could be expanded to more public buyers.

READ THE PRINCIPLES OF WORKER-DRIVEN REMEDY

'We are in the midst of the climate crisis, and we need this transition to be fast, but we can’t be fast if we’re not fair.’→

The latest episode of the Better World Interview series features Olga Martin-Ortega, Head of Natural Resources and Just Transition at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Olga talks to Net Zero Investor about a just transition - how we can move towards a more sustainable economy in a way that is fair to everyone.

Olga also discusses the role of asset owners in helping to drive positive change through a just transition.

CCLA’s Better World Interview series, in collaboration with Net Zero Investor, features leading voices on climate change, its challenges, and the actions we need to take.

Watch the full interview here: Better World Series: Interview with Olga Martin-Ortega | CCLA

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Better World Series: Interview with Olga Martin-Ortega | CCLA

NEW- Transparency in Supply Chains- Modern Slavery Reporting of Higher Education Institutions

The BHRE has published its new Report on Higher Education Institutions’ compliance with their obligations to produce a Modern Slavery Statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015. This new report, authored by Olga Martin-Ortega and Anna Gorna covers the reporting undertaken by HEI  since our previous  two reports which focused on the first two years of reporting of 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. Since the beginning of modern slavery reporting under TISC, a total of 142 HEIs have published a modern slavery statement, which remain accessible online. In our research, we have identified a total of 165 HEI which have engaged with the reporting exercise.

With a limited number institution keeping a historical record of their previous modern slavery statements, which is further discussed below, our research focuses on the most recent statement available, mainly covering the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 reporting periods. This Research Report has analysed 142 statements from HEIs publicly published by September 2022. All the statements found and analysed are listed in Annex I.

 In this report, as in our previous ones, we reflect on the quality of the statements, analyse compliance with the formal requirements of the law and, finally, analyses the substantive content that HEIs disclose in their statements to highlight good practice and encourage improvement.

As this Report highlights, HEIs continue to make progress in assuming their responsibility to combat on modern slavery in their supply chains and be transparent about it. Reporting frequency and quality of the statements remain high. With this research report, we are looking to identify the new and innovative ways in which HEIs  engage in modern slavery due diligence, having moved passed the learning period that characterised the first years of reporting. It also highlights some of the deficiencies which the sector should address.

Organisations now have increased resources to support their responsibilities, including the new Modern Slavery Statement Registry, where companies and public bodies can add their statements to be more easily accessible and the Modern Slavery Assessment Tool (MSAT), provided by the government as an identification and management tool to help public sector organisations work in partnership with suppliers, and which public sector organisations are encouraged to use.

In Annex II we have included an updated Aide Memoire to support organisations in their sustained journey towards being part of the solution to modern slavery in supply chains, rather than one more element in the long chain that perpetuates the abuse of those who produce the products they purchase and provide the services they contract. We hope this Research Report will further assist HEIs in their journey to enhance their practices on combatting modern slavery in their supply chain and report appropriately on it.