H&M has established a National Monitoring Committee (NMC) in India as part of a pledge made by the Swedish fast fashion retailer to improve labour rights for 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. Its purpose is to develop the national short and long term plans and strategies for implementing the GFA at H&M suppliers. The monitoring committees are composed of local trade unions as well as H&M representatives.
Go deeper with GlobalData
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.
The Indian NMC is now the sixth country-based NMC – the others are in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Turkey. The Indian NMC is the first to be composed of all women members.
A two-day meeting in Bangalore between H&M and IndistriAll focused on building an understanding of complaint resolutions and the NMC’s role in the process. Further discussions centred around the development of joint awareness training on freedom of association and collective bargaining for management and workers at H&M suppliers.
”The formation of the NMC in India is a very important step to ensure that the GFA with H&M is implemented effectively. We look forward to having better industrial relations in all H&M suppliers,” said IndustriAll NMC members, Prathibha R from Unions United, Rukmini V.P from Textile Workers Federation of India and Thilagam Ramalingam from IndustriAll South Asia.
