Local Solutions to Global Problems

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Issue Brief

In June 2011, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights—the result of a six-year effort led by the then Special Representative of the UN Secretary—General for Business and Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie. Following the...

Discussing the implications of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for FLA

Implications of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for the Fair Labor Association

Stakeholder Consultation on Addressing Child Labor in Nestlé’s Cocoa Supply Chain

On November 26, 2012, FLA, Nestlé and FLA’s Global Forum for Sustainable Supply Chains jointly organized a stakeholder consultation at Nestlé’s R&D Center in Yopougon, Abidjan. The consultation was an important part of the Action Plan on the Responsible Sourcing of Cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire,

Wages of Inequality: Wage Discrimination and Underpayment in Hybrid Seed Production in India

A recent study commissioned by FLA and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) found ongoing and rampant wage discrimination and underpayment of wages in hybrid vegetable and cotton seed production in India. The study, conducted by Dr. Davuluri Venketeswarlu and Jacob Kalle, was conducted

University of Washington Fair Wages Workshop

On October 8, 2012, the FLA convened its fourth stakeholder forum on wages in Seattle, Washington, hosted by the University of Washington.

The one day workshop was organized to provide information on the Fair Wage Assessment tools and to facilitate understanding of the methodology, and to

Task and Labor Risk Mapping: Hybrid Corn and Sunflower Seeds Romania

In 2011, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) launched a study of corn and sunflower production to develop a better understanding of the agriculture sector in Romania. The study was conducted in collaboration with a representative from the international NGO Human Resources without Borders, and an

The impact of supply chain evolutions on workers' rights

This is a guest post from Kyle Richard, a third-year law student at the University of Washington. Supply chains are rapidly evolving in every industry sector, and one of the most vital concerns is how labor standards can continue to be monitored and enforced throughout these evolving organizational structures. The University of Washington explored this topic during a March conference on “The Transformation of Supply Chains” featuring academic experts and leaders from several labor rights organizations, including Central General Trabajadores, Worker Rights Consortium, and the Fair...

Short-term employment contracts put workers at risk in Peru

On March 4, 2013, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) sent a letter to Peruvian President Ollanta Humala Tasso raising concerns over legislation that currently permits the employment of workers through the use of repeated short-term employment contracts. Short-term employment contracts do not provide stability of employment, and often erode access to fundamental labor rights. FLA Participating Companies Nike, New Balance, PVH Corp., and 47 Brand have also urged the President to take action. Peruvian legislation allows employers in the country’s garment export sector to hire...

Developing sustainable agriculture business principles with the UN Global Compact

On March 19-20 in New York City, FLA participated in the second convening of the Core Advisory Group of the UN Global Compact, where participants worked to develop global voluntary business principles on sustainable agriculture for companies. FLA is also one of two civil society organizations on the Steering Committee of the program. The central objective of the Core Advisory Group – comprised of companies, civil society organizations, experts and representatives of UN agencies – is to develop a whitepaper on the relevant elements and attributes necessary for Sustainable...

Discussing the implications of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for FLA

On February 19, Rachel Davis of Shift (right) made a presentation to the FLA Board of Directors and led a discussion about the implications of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for the FLA. The presentation was based on a study conducted by Shift – an independent nonprofit organization chaired by Professor John Ruggie, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Business and Human Rights, who led a six-year effort to develop the UN Guiding Principles. As an organization that continuously strives to align its work with international labor standards...

Developing knowledge and skills to prevent factory fires

Factory fires have killed thousands of workers all over the world for decades - even with today's advancements in technology and infrastructure, these tragedies continue to occur. Just last year, horrific fires in Bangladesh and Pakistan killed more than 400 factory workers. With the support of brands, factory managers and workers must be empowered to prevent fires and save lives. On February 18, FLA hosted a daylong Fire Safety Workshop in Washington, DC, where representatives from global brands, universities, civil society and other organizations such as the U.S. State and Labor...

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