Proposal A4: Provide an accessible complaints process for workers.

Provide accessible and safe means by which workers can file complaints about violations of freedom of association and collective bargaining rights to buyers, with a transparent process for resolving credible complaints.

Why?

Worker participation in labour standards compliance is essential to developing sustainable solutions. We believe companies need to provide formal avenues for complaints, independent investigations, and corrective action, with feedback to workers on the results of those actions.

Responses

adidas

All approved suppliers are required to post open letters from the adidas Group to workers providing a hotline number to the adidas Social & Environmental Accountability (SEA) team. Following the receipt of a worker complaint, SEA investigates the issues reported by interviewing workers and management, and by reviewing pertinent documents. The SEA team then identifies the subsequent training, consultation and monitoring required.

Full response

"Since the establishment of our programme a decade ago we have provided workers with the contact numbers of our field monitors and a confidential channel to lodge complaints about factory non-compliances, including infringement of FOA rights.

"All approved suppliers are required to post open letters from the adidas Group to workers providing a hotline number to the Social & Environmental team. In some cases these hotlines are manned by independent NGOs, as is the case in China. In other countries, such as Bangladesh we are partnered with local NGOs to independently report on worker concerns.

"Following the receipt of a worker complaint, SEA investigates the issues reported by interviewing workers and management, and by reviewing pertinent documents. The SEA team then identifies the subsequent training, consultation and monitoring required. Depending on the findings, we involve liaison office staff, quality staff, other brands, NGOs, and local Government in the resolution of problems within the work place."

Lotto

No response given.

New Balance

No response given.

Mizuno

Mizuno does not have a formal system for receiving and addressing overseas worker complaints.

Full response

"Though we have the domestic worker confidential channel system named “Mizuno Hotline” in Japan and are still investigating, there are problems, including languages and manpower, on an overseas confidential channel to file complaints by workers,. As we, however, had experience that we have received a direct contact from a labour union in Bangladesh on working conditions and have arbitrated between the union and the factory managements by cooperation of International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers’ Federation ASIAN AND PACIFIC REGIONAL ORGANIZATION (ITGLWF-APRO) in 2005, we are actually able to respond to worker’s requests."

Nike

Nike supports the general objective and has supported setting up hotlines for workers to share their grievances in several countries. However Nike is reluctant to set up systems that are dependent upon its company to operate. Nike does not believe it can reach the targets in the proposed timeframes. As a member of the Fair Labor Association (FLA), workers at Nike’s suppliers can file complaints through the third-party complaints system of the FLA.

Full response

"In general, Nike is committed to promoting factory investment in building effective, accessible, and safe grievance reporting systems. We have also supported setting up hotlines for workers to share their grievances in several countries. We prefer systems that are not dependent upon our brand for them to operate, in order for the system to operate in a more neutral and effective manner. While we anticipate scaling up our efforts in this area, Nike does not believe it could reach the targets in the outlined timeframes."

Pentland

Pentland does not have a system for reporting complaints to Pentland, although as a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) workers at its suppliers can file complaints through the ETI’s third-party complaints system.

Full response

"We work with our suppliers to improve internal communications so that problems can be raised and resolved internally."

Puma

Puma says that it has a third party complaint system in place and has supported various grievance management improvement programs at the local level.

Full response

On the provision of accessible complaints process for workers, PUMA's complaints process for the workers has been in place for a long time as it is a requirement for becoming a member of the Fair Labor Association. PUMA’s 3rd party complaint system has been proven to work at a global level. We remediated numerous complaints that were raised through this channel from Turkey and China. In Cambodia, PUMA supports the decisions that were made by the national arbitration system. Although we established grievance hotlines in key countries such as China, we believe that employers and employees must be given the capacity to manage and resolve disputes internally. For this reason, PUMA supports various grievance management improvement programs at the local level in key sourcing countries such as China, Turkey, Romania and Vietnam.

Response Key

The brand claims to implementing all components of this proposal or has agreed to implement them within Play Fair's proposed timeframe.

The brand is currently implementing or has agreed to implement some of the essential components of the proposal but has refused to implement, has overlooked, or has raised issues with one or more important components; or, the brand agrees to implement the proposal but not within Play Fair’s proposed timeframe.

The brand has refused to implement the essential components of the proposal.

The brand has misunderstood or failed to comment on the proposal; or the brand is considering the proposal, but has yet to make a decision.