New Look and ITF begin joint work to empower transport workers to organise and be protected from labour rights abuses.
Leading UK apparel brand, New Look, and global trade union federation, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), are now working together to ensure that transport workers’ human and labour rights are protected in New Look’s supply chain.
Under a new memorandum of understanding (MoU), New Look will conduct human rights due diligence (HRDD) in its transport supply chain in full consultation with the ITF to ensure environmental and social sustainability, and good governance, in its directly operated and subcontracted transport operations.
The MoU states that New Look and the ITF will work together “to improve the safety, resilience and sustainability of transport supply chains, the public they serve, and the transport workers that keep them moving”.
New Look and the ITF make several other commitments under the MoU, including:
- New Look will advance freedom of association for its supply chain transport workers by, among other elements, ensuring the ITF’s affiliate trade unions have the right to organise and enter the premises of supply chain logistics providers.
- The ITF and relevant ITF-affiliated trade unions shall conduct joint trainings for the New Look and its suppliers, as appropriate.
- New Look commits to provide for or cooperate in remediation, when appropriate, through collective bargaining with the ITF and/or the respective affiliated trade unions of the jurisdiction(s) concerned.
New Look’s Senior Head of ESG, Quality and Sourcing, Sue Fairley, said: “Formalising our relationship with ITF offers New Look an informed, practical partnership to help us remain vigilant and diligent in our commitment to uphold human rights, be aware of vulnerable workers and make sure there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in any part of our operations, which includes transport and logistics.”
ITF General Secretary, Stephen Cotton, said: “New Look is clearly a company that wants to go above and beyond in its efforts to protect transport workers in its supply chain.
“Transport workers play a central role in ensuring our clothing, often produced far away, reaches the shops on UK high streets. They are key workers in our global economy, and like all workers, they deserve to have their rights respected.
“A responsible business taking the initiative to work with trade unions to promote decent work in its supply chain is an example of how things should be done – and we applaud New Look for this.”
New Look recognises the ITF as the internationally representative body for transport workers and has formalised a relationship through an agreement to work together on human rights due diligence in the transport and logistics parts of its supply chain. New Look sources from 19 countries around the world, using sea, road and – to a lesser extent – air transport to bring its products to the UK and Ireland.
The ITF has a network of transport trade union affiliates in industrial sections covering seafarers, dockers, and workers in road transport, railways, civil aviation and warehousing.
Under the terms of the agreement, New Look commits to respecting all internationally recognised human rights as standards for its supply chain transport and logistics operations, including the ILO’s fundamental principles and rights at work, and other relevant ILO instruments and codes of practices.
In its conduct of HRDD, New Look will align to the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the International Labor Organisation (ILO) Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct. The ITF and New Look will work together in the design of HRDD policy, the identification, avoidance and mitigation of risk, and the determination of remedies when rights are violated.
Notes
- See here for the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; here for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct; here for the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy; here for the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
- New Look manufactures its products across 19 countries, with over 80% coming from its top five sourcing countries. New Look ships from 52 ports out of 27 countries using sea, road and to a lesser extent air transport. For more information on New Look’s factory supply chain, see here
- New Look is one of 50 business and investors to call for a new UK human rights due diligence law, see here
- See here to access the ITF’s Supply Chain Human Rights Principles
- See here to access the ITF’s Maritime HRDD Guidance
- See here for the ITF’s supply chain due diligence agreement with TFG Group
About New Look: New Look is a leading fashion retailer operating in the value segment of the clothing and footwear market in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with a targeted online presence. New Look offers products and a shopping experience based on excitement, value and newness. The New Look brand is distinct and trusted in the UK, catering to a broad customer audience. New Look ranked No. 2 for overall Womenswear market share in the 18 to 44 age range.
About the ITF: The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a democratic, affiliate-led federation of transport workers’ unions recognised as the world’s leading transport authority. We fight passionately to improve working lives, connecting trade unions and workers’ networks from 147 countries to secure rights, equality and justice for their members. We are the voice of 16.5 million transport workers who move the world.
Media contact, ITF: Mark Dearn +44 7738 832 413 media@itf.org.uk
Media contact, New Look: Hayley Kell press.office@newlook.com
