Tchibo and IndustriALL commit to support suppliers
The impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic on workers, businesses, trade unions and governments has underlined the need for social dialogue in preventing, averting and mitigating negative effects on the industry and its employees.
IndustriALL and Tchibo have signed a joint declaration, publicly reaffirming and strengthening their commitment to work together to support the garment industry in recovering from the crisis created by the global pandemic.
Among the joint commitments are:
- To continue to ensure the respect of freedom of association and collective bargaining rights along the company´s non-food supply chains.
- To promote social dialogue with information, consultation and negotiation at all levels as the main way to solve conflicts.
- To ensure the health and safety of all workers throughout the Tchibo non-food supply chains. Tchibo suppliers will implement all the necessary special protective measures and provide all necessary protective equipment.
- To continue to develop the company’s responsible purchasing practices by integrating measures that respond to and seek to mitigate the impact of Covid-19, and to work under the ACT initiative on living wages.
- To reaffirm the commitments made since the beginning of the pandemic for stable payment terms in order to support employer´s cash flow and thus provide stability and predictability for workers.
- To work in a proactive way under the ILO Call to Action to generate the necessary financial conditions that allow suppliers to honor payments to workers and to preserve the level of employment and income of workers among suppliers; both organizations will cooperate to accelerate this initiative in order to support stakeholders in the industry, particularly for workers.
Through the joint statement, IndustriALL and Tchibo express their commitment to contribute to the economic recovery of garment industry and the security of workers in Tchibo’s and the global garment supply chains, according to their respective roles.
IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches says:
“The brands in the garment industry must assume their responsibility to protect the workers along their supply chains. This joint declaration is a welcome step in the right direction to prepare the sector for the future. We call on other international and national stakeholders to commit to this goal thereby contributing to the global economic and social recovery.
"A commitment with stable orders, payments and financial conditions towards suppliers will help us fight to guarantee jobs and income along Tchibo’s supply chain.”
Tchibo is one of the leading retailers for consumer goods in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. IndustriALL and Tchibo signed a global framework agreement in 2016. It is the second major global garment brand to commit with IndustriALL on suppliers’ resilience after Inditex, who signed a joint statement with IndustriALL in early August.
Photo 1: Tchibo supplier
Photo 2: Tchibo shop
Photo 3: Tchibo CEO Linemayr signing the document
