Response from Pentland

Proposal A1:

Require suppliers to issue 'Right to Organize' guarantees to workers.

Pentland’s Group Code of Employment Standards for Suppliers includes freedom of association,and is available on their website in thirteen languages. However Pentland does not require suppliers to issue Right to Organize Guarantees to their workers.

Full response

"We work with our principal suppliers on codes of conduct, which includes Freedom of Association. Our Group Code of Employment Standards for Suppliers is based on the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code; it is available on our website in thirteen languages.

"These discussions lead to significant improvements across the different code provisions. Where there is a generally positive climate for the development of unions, there is good and productive discussion. Where there is not, the discussion is limited by the lack of institutional support for unions to develop and a political environment which is not conducive to the development of free and independent trades unions.

"Our regular discussions with suppliers on ethical standards include meetings which bring together management, worker representatives and worker interviewers. Over many years we have built up a network of independent worker interviewers from a wide range of civil society organisations; these include people from universities, non-governmental organisations and other institutions."

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.