The Fair Labor Association (FLA) has closely monitored the human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China over the past two years. In an April 2019 Issue Brief, we cautioned FLA affiliates to conduct additional due diligence to detect potential instances of forced labor in Xinjiang.
The Fair Labor Association (FLA) board of directors approved the application of FGV Holdings Berhad (FGV) to become a Participating Company in the FLA in October 2019. The FLA affiliation illustrated interest by FGV, a major industry supplier of palm oil and palm kernel oil, to address systemic labor issues in its palm oil supply chain.
A grievance guidance series, commissioned by Cargill and developed by Proforest, was created to provide practical and action-oriented information on how to verify grievances, identify root causes, develop action plans to address them, and minimize risk of future grievances in the palm oil sector.
Remarks as prepared for delivery by Shelly Heald Han, Fair Labor Association, at Global Supply Chains, Forced Labor, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Roundtable of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China
The Fair Labor Association (FLA) is deeply troubled by credible reports of forced labor and other violations of fundamental human rights in the Xinjiang region of China. We call for an immediate end to these violations and pledge to work collaboratively with governments, civil society, unions, and multilateral organizations to achieve this goal.
November 6, 2018 – Malaysia and Indonesia are leading producers of palm oil, together accounting for 86 percent of global production and employing nearly 3.5 million workers, largely migrants from poorer neighbouring regions and countries.
Environmental concerns related to palm oil production emerged in the early 2000s, but it is only recently that conversations about the palm oil sector have included social, labor, and human rights issues. As awareness grows about poor working conditions and forced labor in the palm oil sector, governments around the globe, particularly in Europe, have taken notice and are exploring bans on the use of palm oil.
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – October 22, 2018 – Today, 123 apparel and footwear companies signed the new “AAFA/FLA Apparel & Footwear Industry Commitment to Responsible Recruitment,” reflecting the industry’s commitment to the fair treatment of workers in the global apparel, footwear, and travel goods supply chain.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), an estimated 215 million children are involved in child labor worldwide, and an estimated six million children are forced to work around the world. In December, the U.S. Department of Labor launched a free toolkit to help companies develop programs to combat forced and child labor in their supply chains.
On April 12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service announced the opening of the public comment period on recommendations – made by the Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural Products – for voluntary private-sector monitoring and verification of child labor and forced labor in supply chains.
