7 October, 2022The Inditex global union committee was established following provisions in the global framework agreement signed in 2019. The committee aims to share best practices across the industry in promoting the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining and increase local unions’ involvement in the application of the GFA.
Meeting at Inditex headquarters in A Coruña, Spain, on 3-6 October, local union representatives from Inditex's six production clusters around the world and representatives from IndustriALL Spanish affiliates Comisiones Obreras and UGT-FICA discussed and evaluated the 2022 global work plan, exchanged organizing and collective bargaining victories in Inditex supplier factories during 2022, and developed its global implementation plan.
The days coincided with the 15th anniversary of the global framework agreement and the signing of a new protocol in the presence of the global union committee. The new protocol furthers social dialogue by reinforcing the committee and its coordinating bodies, specifically establishing new mechanisms for cementing the role of the local unions for a better understanding of what the workers making the clothes need.
The global committee with IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie and Inditex CEO Óscar García Maceiras at the signing of the agreement.
During the meeting days, the global union committee discussed the advancement of a joint programme for global implementation on freedom of association and collective bargaining, and the new protocols on factory access. Access to factories in Inditex’ supply chain will improve the understanding of workers’ needs and how to respond to them.
The global committee will continue to work with all IndustriALL textile and garment affiliates to identify and plan joint factory access for 2023, as elaborated in the 2023 GFA workplan.
Since its establishment, the International Accord has significantly improved factory safety in Bangladesh. The global committee expressed its support that Pakistan will be the next country that will develop an health and safety programme under the Accord. It further expressed support for the Inditex MENA trade union network’s demand that the Accord be expanded to Morocco.
“The global union committee has made key decisions to ensure that the workers in Inditex’s global supply chain will continue to be able to exercise their rights to band together in trade unions to negotiate for better working conditions. IndustriALL will continue to support the Inditex global union committee in this important mandate,”
says Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile and garment director.