How European clothing companies can be held responsible for the sacking of employees in Bangladeshi garment factories.
It should be alarming for some European companies involved in the clothing industry, that last week at least 1,500 impoverished workers demanding a trebling of pay, have been sacked after protests, in Bangladesh garment factories. Dozens have been arrested when amid clashes with the Police.
These factories are also supplying to European and American brands…
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises provide internationally agreed principles and standards for responsible business conduct in areas such as employment, industrial relations and human rights. The Guidelines make clear that companies have responsibility across their entire supply chain.
Knowing what’s inside the guidelines is very important as it can affect your business!
In the Bangladeshi case, the OECD Guidelines chapter 5; “employment and industrial relations” state that collective redundancies can affect the staff deeply and employees should be informed about upcoming changes within the business.
Companies should also provide a save working environment and a wage that enables employees to support their families, keeping in mind the average family size and basic needs like housing, food, healthcare and education.
In the recent Bangladesh garment clashes human rights and international employment standards have been violated. European companies directly or indirectly buying from these factories can as a result of chain responsibility be unconsciously involved in these violations in their trade and production chain.
The extent to which a company is responsible within a chain is determined, among other things, by the influence of the company and the seriousness of possible violations.
Read in the below report of the Guardian, how the clashes in Bangladesh on December 23 violate the right of workers.
International guidelines provides solutions for awareness and training in responsible business conduct. We help companies to further improve the awareness of their employers clients and suppliers and other stakeholders in doing business responsibly according to international standards.