STOCKHOLM – H &M Group and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have announced a new, expanded partnership to jointly promote improved working conditions in textile and garment industry supply chains. H&M Group and the ILO have been working together since 2001 in countries such as Cambodia and Bangladesh, specifically addressing a range of issues including wages, work quality, productivity, and the documentation and recognition of workers’ skills.
The new agreement expands this partnership, and will include more H&M Group business functions than before, making it broader. The renewed and expanded partnership was signed by Guy Ryder, ILO director general, Karl-Johan Persson, CEO, H&M Group and Anna Gedda, head of sustainability, H&M Group.
The flagship Better Work Programme of the ILO, jointly managed by the International Finance Corporation, will play a key role in implementing activities under the agreement. The Better Work Programme operates in seven countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Haiti, Indonesia, Jordan, Nicaragua and Viet Nam) working with about 1,600 factories that employ around 2,200,000 workers.
Rie Vejs-Kjeldgaard, director for partnerships at the ILO said: “The continuation of this successful partnership with H&M Group is important as it provides a basis on which to continue to promote both the Decent Work Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals in workplaces worldwide in a key economic sector. Lessons learned from these kinds of partnerships are important to inform the ILO’s work with the private sector.”
“We know strengthened industrial relations and social dialogue are a must when working towards improved working conditions and productivity within the supply chain. Thanks to our longstanding partnership with the ILO, which now has been renewed, we can continue working together towards this goal,” added Anna Gedda, head of sustainability H&M Group.
Both parties to the agreement said at the signing that they acknowledge that systemic changes are needed in terms of labour relations, via working with governments, trade unions and employers’ organisations.
