End human rights violations in supply chains, involve trade unions

That’s why we are joining together to urge the EU to make the involvement of trade unions in companies’ due diligence responsibilities a mandatory requirement - backed up with effective remedies for workers and unions if rights are denied.

Sign our petition and join in to help us turn the draft EU Directive into an effective piece of legislation.

This year the European Commission finally published a proposal on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD) to hold businesses accountable for human rights violations. In its current form, the CSDD Directive will fail to protect workers from companies violating their fundamental rights.

Why? The draft Directive is toothless because it

  • fails to give workers and their representatives a say on their company’s ‘due diligence’ strategy;
     
  • undermines the effective exercise of the rights and prerogatives of trade unions to organise, to bargain collectively and of trade unions and workers’ representatives to be informed and consulted as enshrined in ILO Conventions, the Council of Europe European Social Charter and EU legislation
     
  • fails to provide victims including workers and their representatives with effective access to justice and remedies. It does not provide for deterrent sanctions to hold businesses accountable for violations they commit.

To make the difference, trade unions and workers’ representatives must be actively involved in the whole process of due diligence. They must have a say in identifying and preventing risks of human rights violations. They should be involved in ensuring that violations are stopped. They should also take part in the design, monitoring and implementation of due diligence strategies.

Workers have the best knowledge about business practices on the ground. A thorough involvement of trade unions and workers is the best way to prevent and end human rights violations in business and their supply chains.

  • Melanie H 23.02.2024 13:39