ILO reaches first agreement on issue of living wages Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders Continuing the process launched in 2014, the open-ended intergovernmental working group under the aegis of the UN met in Geneva, between 25-29 October for a 7th session of negotiations to establish a legally binding instrument regulating the activities of companies with regard to human rights. While the United States re-joined the process in 2021, after President Trump pulled the US out three years previously, the text remains blocked by the wait-and-see attitude of major players like the European Union. Crucial points such as the type of companies concerned are still short of securing consensus.
United States: White House wants to set up workers’ rights diplomacy Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 16 November, the US Presidency published an action plan designed to protect and strengthen workers’ rights at home and abroad. In this memorandum,…
EU: real wages continue to fall in member states (study) Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders A study by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reveals that real wages, i.e. those not adjusted for inflation,…
Angela Rushforth (Construction Inclusion Coalition chair): “We need to change the perception of women in the construction industry” Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders At the end of September, a coalition designed to strengthen equality, diversity and inclusion in the construction industry was launched. Called the Construction Inclusion Coalition (CIC), it was founded by the chief executives of nine groups* and those of two employers' organisations in the sector (Builders Merchants Federation and National Merchant Buying Society). Angela Rushforth, CIC chair and Managing Director of Toolstation, a subsidiary of Travis Perkins, spoke to mind RH about the origins of this coalition, whose members employ over 250,000 people.
United Kingdom: CIPD issues guide to promote inclusion of transgender employees Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the trade association for human resource management professionals,…
Great Britain: companies urged to get involved in suicide prevention Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 11 September 2023 the UK executive published its ‘Suicide prevention strategy for England: 2023 to 2028’ policy paper,…
Canada: investigations launched against Walmart and Hugo Boss after allegations of Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders Following complaints from a group of NGOs, an investigation has been launched into Walmart and Hugo Boss which are two of three companies being accused of sourcing from factories suspected of using forced Uyghur labour.
Brazil: delivery platform iFood sanctioned by the courts for anti-union practices Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders Following revelations in the press that communications agencies working on behalf of the delivery platform iFood were spying on striking delivery workers, the courts in Brazil have imposed a series of sanctions against the private company, which will have to make public amends and finance a plan to strengthen the rights of its employees.
Uniqlo, Inditex and Skechers targeted by new legal action over forced labour Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders With China’s Xinjiang province providing 20% of the world's cotton supplies, legal action has been launched for a second time in France against three major retailing businesses: Uniqlo, Inditex and Skechers. In Brussels, the European Commission may be moving towards US-style legislation that targets products produced using forced labour and reverses the burden of proof.
Netherlands: a Guide for handling reports of sexual harassment in the workplace Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders The Dutch government has published a “Guide to reporting sexually inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.” The aim is to help companies manage these types of situations.…
