Global union Industriall has held a series of workshops designed to encourage and train union organisers and workers on how to successfully implement its Global Framework Agreements (GFAs) with garment producers H&M, Inditex and Tchibo.
Designed to protect the interests of workers employed in all operations of the multinational companies who sign them, GFAs are negotiated at a global level between trade unions and companies. They establish the best possible standards on trade union rights, on health and safety, and on the labour relations principles adhered to by the company in its global operations, regardless of the standards existing in a particular country.
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The workshops, in which representatives from the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh also participated, focused on strengthening industrial relations and social dialogue through effective implementation of GFAs in the garment supply chain.
Participants were involved in planning and evaluating the GFA implementation process, dispute settlement mechanisms and joint management and trade union workshop for creating awareness on GFAs and training of plant level union representatives towards effective use of various GFA provisions.
Representatives of the National Monitoring Committee (NMC) were also on hand to share best practice on improving industrial relations and collective bargaining mechanisms as part of their role to implement a pledge made by Swedish fast fashion retailer H&M to improve labour rights for 1.6m garment workers at its supplier factories.
The NMC system is the implementation arm of the Global Framework Agreement (GFA) between H&M and the IndustriAll Global Union.
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By GlobalDataParticipants also reviewed ongoing union organising initiatives and strategies to strengthen union density in the garment industry.
“We are strengthening industrial relations and social dialogue in the garment industry and our GFAs are contributing to this process,” says Industriall garment director Christina Hajagos-Clausen. “We are working to tackle challenges and improve institutional mechanisms while creating awareness among workers and management on GFAs. With the active involvement of workers we are advancing towards further improvement in industrial relations and social dialogue.”
Last year, CEO of Inditex, Pablo Isla, said the Spanish clothing giant’s GFA, which acts to protect some 1.5m garment workers, is one of the most effective tools for enforcing and encouraging labour rights in the industry’s global supply.
Inditex GFA one of the best tools to enforce labour rights
