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Weekly Update - 20 July 2016
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Widespread denial of labour rights, including living wage, in footwear supply chains in Eastern Europe
Change Your Shoes Campaign; Berne Declaration
Interviews with 179 shoe workers from factories in 6 countries - Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia - find most not paid minimum wage
- we invited companies mentioned in the reports to respond - responses by adidas, Birkenstock, Clarks, ECCO, Euro Sko, Lowa, Manor, Migros, Nilson
- Ara, Bally, Camper, CCC, El Naturalista, Ferragamo, Gabor, Geox, LederUndSchuh, Mango, Navyboot, Pasito-Fricker, Prada, Rieker, Tods, Wojas, Vögele did not respond
- Bata, Deichmann have indicated they will respond
Romania: Authorities rescue chained-up workers in woodworking industry
Associated Press
- victims kidnapped, chained, whipped & forced into manual labour for 8-year period
- investigation involves some 90 suspects & 65 victims with physical & mental disabilities
(photo credit: Associated Press) |
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From Business & Human Rights Resource Centre |
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Open-access registry for the Modern Slavery Act critical & urgent
Anti-Slavery Intl., Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, CORE Coalition, Ethical Trading Initiative, FLEX, Freedom Fund, Humanity United and KnowTheChain
- key stakeholders consider a registry essential to enable public to review statements; discussing next steps
- UK Govt. will not establish central registry, but agrees it would be valuable
Vacancy deadline extended to 22 Jul: Middle East Research & Outreach Assistant
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UN Human Rights Council names Anita Ramasastry as member of UN Working Group on business & human rights
- council also adopts resolutions on access to justice, civic space, climate change, creates new independent expert on sexual orientation & gender identity
US Govt. launches call to action for private sector engagement in global refugee crisis
The White House
- founding companies: Accenture, Airbnb, Chobani, Coursera, Goldman Sachs, Google, HP, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, LinkedIn, Mastercard, Microsoft, TripAdvisor, UPS, Western Union
Civil society group calls on development banks to ensure activities are not putting human rights defenders at risk
Coalition for Human Rights in Development; SOMO
Further to previous Update: Facebook response to Access Now on steps to address digital rights (former company responses also available)
Further to previous Update: Facing Finance rejoinder to company comments on investigation of abuses by 20 firms
- further responses by HSBC, Inditex, Total; Anglo American indicated it will respond
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Middle East & North Africa |
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Company responses
- adidas, Birkenstock, Clarks, ECCO, Euro Sko, Lowa, Manor, Migros, Nilson re working conditions in European supply chains
- Volkswagen re alleged discrimination & labour rights abuses in Spain
- HSBC, Inditex, Total re rights allegations in Facing Finance report
- Anglo American, Ferroport, CODIN, Prumo Logística re negative social & environmental impacts related to logistical-industrial Açu port in Brazil
- Barrick Gold re violence at Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea
- Cerrejon re negative social & environmental impacts in Colombia
Non-responses
- Ara, Bally, Camper, CCC, El Naturalista, Ferragamo, Gabor, Geox, LederUndSchuh, Mango, Navyboot, Pasito-Fricker, Prada, Rieker, Tods, Wojas, Vögele re working conditions in European supply chains
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Forthcoming events:
- women activists, China & the fight against sweatshop exploitation (26 Jul, London)
- '6th Asia Best CSR Practices Awards 2016' (5 Aug, Singapore)
- master class: social performance in mining, oil & gas sectors (8-10 Aug, Colorado)
- workshop on inequality & human rights in global South (27 Aug - 3 Sep, Colombia)
- business course on UK Modern Slavery Act (12 Sep, London)
Details of these and other events further in the future can be found here. Please send relevant event information to Alex Janczenia: janczenia@business-humanrights.org
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Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (Middle East Research & Outreach Assistant)
Other current vacancies:
- Fair Labor Association (Vice President)
- Fair Wear Foundation (Assistant Verification Officer)
- RepRisk AG (Sales Manager)
- The Carter Center (Advocacy Coordinator)
- UNICEF (Corporate Alliances Manager)
Further details and other recently posted jobs available here. To submit a new job announcement in business & human rights please go here.
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DISCLAIMER:
We take no position on views by commentators, organizations & companies in the materials in this email: http://business-humanrights.org/en/about-us/disclaimer
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