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Human rights due diligence in Japanese supply chains

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18 October, 2022IndustriALL Global Union Japan Liaison Council (JLC) has committed to use the Guideline on respecting human rights in responsible supply chain to engage multinational companies in implementing human rights due diligence.

In a meeting with IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan on 26 September, IndustriALL vice president and JLC president Akira Takakura, said that Japanese unions play a vital role in ensuring that multinational companies respect human rights in its supply chains.

“Unions in Japan and abroad should exchange information and cooperate with companies to realize their human rights policy. Companies must see unions as a social partner in handling grievances, providing remedies and eradicate rights violations in the global supply chain.”

The Japan Council of Metalworkers (JCM) has published a guide called Trade unions’ role and responses to human rights due diligence for its affiliates. The union submitted its comment on the guideline to the parliamentary vice-minister of economy, trade and industry (METI), Kazuchika Iwata in June.

“The guideline on human rights and due diligence issued by METI in September is excellent. Trade unions in Japan and other countries should explore how to make use of them to protect human and workers’ rights,”

said Özkan.

In a meeting with Korean unions affiliated to IndustriALL on 29 September, Kemal Özkan discussed priorities of the country’s labour movement. Both parties exchanged on strategic planning for 2023, ongoing campaigns and fight against declining wages and working conditions, and the increase of precarious and informal jobs.