Retail Asia 2018 RA September.October 2018 (Online) | Page 29

FOCUS
Retail workforce
Organisations call for
accelerated action against
forced labour, unethical
recruitment
T
he Consumer Goods Forum
(CGF) has recently called on
businesses around the world
to play their part in the fight
to end all forms of forced labour. Issued
during the 2018 Global Forum on
Responsible Business and Recruitment,
the call to action was made alongside
the International Labour Organization
(ILO) and the International
Organization for Migration (IOM),
and with the support of the Institute for
Human Rights and Business (IHRB).
CGF said it is a strong affirmation of
its members’ commitment to strive to
eradicate forced labour from global
supply chains and continue not to
tolerate forced labour within their own
operations.
In 2016, the CGF launched its
CEO-approved industry resolution
on combating forced labour. It is now
calling upon businesses to acknowledge
the scale of the challenge and to
accelerate action to eliminate forced
The Consumer Goods Forum’s Priority
Industry Principles on Forced Labour state
that every worker should have freedom of
movement.
labour, in alignment with the United
Nations Guiding Principles on Business
and Human Rights, the United
Nations Sustainable Development
Goals and other international
frameworks. While governments are
responsible for protecting human
rights including ensuring that national
laws and regulations protect against
forced labour, CGF said business has a
responsibility to respect human rights
in its value chains and own operations
and can play a key role in combating
forced labour.
Ambassador William Lacy Swing,
director general of IOM, the UN
Migration Agency, said: “More and
more companies across sectors and
industries are coming together to
join the fight against forced labour
and unethical recruitment and to
establish stronger protections for
migrant workers in supply chains. The
UN Migration Agency stands ready
to support these efforts and to work
in partnership to promote practical,
measurable improvements in the lives
of migrants around the world.”
CGF went on to say that business
leaders have the opportunity to
eradicate forced labour through the
global mainstreaming of the CGF’s
Priority Industry Principles on Forced
Labour, which state that every worker
should have freedom of movement; no
worker should pay for a job; and no
worker should be indebted or coerced
to work.
Businesses can also work towards
the eradication of worker fees in the
next 10 years by implementing the
Employer Pays Principle championed
by the IHRB-led Leadership Group for
Responsible Recruitment.
Grant Reid, CEO at confectionery
manufacturer Mars, Incorporated, said:
“Two years ago, the CGF issued our
global resolution to fight forced labour.
We remain steadfast in this commitment
and this is a call to action to accelerate
the tangible steps we are taking as an
industry, matching our commitment
with concrete results and improvements
in the lives of vulnerable people. We need
to increase the pace of change on this
critical issue.”
Making a stand together
As collaboration is crucial to accelerate
action and drive positive change on this
issue, the CGF calls upon businesses to
stand together in their commitment to
combat the exploitation of human beings
for the purposes of compulsory labour.
Businesses are asked to join forces with
the ILO, IOM and IHRB experts in the
field of modern slavery, to put an end to
these crimes once and for all.
Olaf Koch, chairman of the
management board of retail company
Metro AG, and co-chair of CGF Board,
said: “Forced labour is a complex issue
that cannot be solved without cross-
sectoral collaboration. We at Metro AG
encourage you to rise to the challenge
and stand united with us in the global
fight against forced labour. We thank
the leaders from our industry and global
partners, ILO and IOM for joining us on
this collective journey.” ra
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