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Weekly Update - 3 February 2016
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Outreach to garment brands sourcing from Turkey reveals leading companies, while most not fast enough to safeguard Syrian refugees from exploitation
- C&A, Next, White Stuff taking principled approach to protect refugees
- Next, H&M take concerted action to protect child refugees found at suppliers
- concerns include low wages, child labour & sexual abuse; briefing makes recommendations to clothing companies
- audit processes not fit for purpose - largely announced audits on 1st-tier suppliers, less scrutiny further down
- brands have shown unprecedented collaborative engagement with Turkish Govt. over work permits
- more information on exploitation of Syrian refugees
(Photo credit: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) |
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From Business & Human Rights Resource Centre |
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Azerbaijan: Report documents abuses of oil workers’ rights including non-payment of wages, discrimination, lack of union rights, health & safety violations
Oil-Workers’ Rights Protection Organization
- we invited the companies mentioned in the report to respond
- responses provided by ASCO, BP, Intertek, Maersk Drilling and Swift Worldwide Resources
- Baghlan Group, BOS Shelf, Elite Marine Services, EnerMech, Global Energy Azerbaijan, SOCAR, Statoil and Stork did not respond
Russia: 12 people, including 3 children, killed in fire at textile workshop
AP
Garment workers face forced overtime & poverty wages in Czech Republic & Poland, says Clean Clothes Campaign
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Middle East & North Africa |
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Iran: Spotlight on business & human rights as country opens for investments
Reuters; Affectio Mutandi (France)
- at least USD 37 billion in business deals since lifting of sanctions
- calls for "heightened due diligence" by French firms
Qatar is "failing on crucial labour law reforms", says Human Rights Watch
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Company responses
- adidas, Arcadia Group, ASOS, BHS, Burberry, C&A, Debenhams, H&M, Hugo Boss, Inditex, KiK, Marks & Spencer, New Look, Next, Nike, Otto Group, Primark, Puma, Superdry, White Stuff re exploitation of Syrian refugees in Turkey
- ASCO, BP, Intertek, Maersk Drilling, Swift Worldwide Resources re abuses of oil workers' rights in Azerbaijan
- Dundee Precious Metals re health & environmental impact of tailing dump in Armenia
- Hasbro re working conditions at toy factory in China
- Uniqlo re working conditions at Fast Retailing factories in China (only available in Japanese)
Non-responses
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Forthcoming events:
- legal training on business & human rights (6-7 Feb, London)
- 7th Alternative Mining Indaba (8-10 Feb, Cape Town)
- lessons from Bodo Community v Shell litigation (16 Feb, Oxford)
- live chat on supporting migrant workers in palm oil supply chain (17 Feb, online)
- conference: just taxation of multinational corps. (18 Feb, Berlin)
- human rights law & the extractive industries (18-19 Feb, Panama City)
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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Current vacancies:
Further details and other recently posted jobs available here. Please send job announcements to Alex Janczenia: janczenia@business-humanrights.org
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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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