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Information on code of conduct for manufacturers and suppliers mentioned on page 5 of the statement.

 

- prohibition of forced labour and human trafficking within the code of conduct is mentioned in the statement itself (page 5)

-requirement for suppliers and manufacturers to comply with 'Inditex minimum requirements', which 'include compliance with the Inditex Code of Conduct for Manufacturers and Suppliers,- among other policies and standards' (page 5)

 

*I would like a second opinion on the other options I checked - The statement doesn't explicitly include the other obligations I have ticked (prohibition on child labour and must respect labour rights), however, they are in the code of conduct directed to tier 1 suppliers mentioned above.

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Also note that the code of conduct isn't part of the statement, but there is a link to it.

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I have now also checked 'Prohibit charging of recruitment fees to employee' as it is also mentioned in the statement that the code of conduct does not allow suppliers/manufacturers to require employees to make 'any kind of "deposits"' with the employer, which I take to include recruitment fees.

 

I have checked the indirect/beyond tier 1 options as the statement indicates the Code is "enforced across the entire supply chain, including all tiers and processes and established the framework that governs their relationships with Inditex." (page 5).

 

However, second opinion is appreciated, as it isn't clear if the term 'tier' is used in the same way in the Statement and the Wikirates assessment. Furthermore, while Inditex's Policy on Human Rights (which includes a 'rejection' of forced labour) is enforced on third parties (page 4), it is not clear how far this category of third parties extend.

 

I note that regarding indirect suppliers like raw material (cotton) suppliers, they have 'strategies' in place to help address work conditions in partnership with industry and the UN, although there are not bound by the policies already mentioned (page 10-11). Furthermore, they have remediation plans to support refugees and migrant workers in collaboration with local organisations, although this includes supplier engagement to verify working conditions, and worker engagement to provide them with support.

 

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I have checked 'beyond Tier 1' for the policies included in the code as it is explicitly stated that the code applies to all tiers and the rest are checked only for Tier 1.

pg. 11

“As an example, to drive the progress of sustainability across the supply chain of cotton, Inditex works with other organizations in the sector, such as Textile Exchange or Organic Cotton Accelerator, in addition to working with ILO under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) signed with Inditex in 2017 to promote respect for human rights at work from cotton producers in different cotton producing communities. The four fundamental rights that ILO advocates for in its Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work are:

 

/ Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; / The elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; / The effective abolition of child labour; / The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.” (Prohibit Child labour & Suppliers respect labour rights)