For several years, international unions have been actively involved to get multinational companies to sign commitments regarding compliance with fundamental rights throughout the value chain, including suppliers. Concerning the modalities for ensuring that these rights are respected, Isidor Boix, in charge of CSR at the CCOO’s manufacturing federation, says that the involvement of unions from the home country of big western companies is what makes a difference. At a conference on April 30 in Madrid, he presented Spanish unions’ action at Inditex, the Spanish textile group (Zara) to monitor working conditions throughout the production chain at suppliers located in Asia or Latin America, and promote local unions as another lever to make sure rights are respected.
Isidor Boix believes that involving unions from the home countries of large western businesses when defending workers’ rights throughout the value chain, including suppliers who are often located in third-world countries, is crucial. They must show solidarity to help unions establish themselves and advance union rights, making sure that the development of global companies also leads to a “globalization of workers’ rights.” Besides, he points out, 50 percent of the world’s working class...
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