TUC welcomes government crackdown on exploitation in global supply chains

Responding to the government announcement of a new human rights' due diligence law, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: 

"It's great that the government will introduce a human rights due diligence law which will hold businesses legally accountable for what happens in their domestic and international supply chains - something that unions have long campaigned for. 

"For too long, some businesses have benefited from exploitative practices in their operations and supply chains at home and abroad - including poverty pay, unsafe working conditions, discrimination and union busting.

"The new law will raise the bar for labour practices and help ensure respect for all human rights – making sure good businesses are not undercut by the bad.

"The government should go further by extending the new rules to all businesses, including those supplying to our public sector. Ministers should also include environmental harms within the scope of the legislation."

ENDS

Notes to editors: TUC Proposal for new mandatory human and labour rights and environmental due diligence legislation: https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/proposal-new-mandatory-human-and-labour-rights-and-environmental-due

International standards: UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights https://www.ohchr.org/en/publications/reference-publications/guiding-principles-business-and-human-rights

OCED Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct

https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/policy-issues/responsible-business-conduct.html

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