The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) has gone from strength to strength since its inception a decade ago, today incorporating 52 member companies representing a turnover of £100 billion.
Some of the largest food and clothing retailers in the UK gathered at the body’s tenth anniversary conference in London last week, and were joined by people involved in ethical trade from around the world, including South American banana growers.
ETI chair Alan Roberts told delegates: “A decade ago a small group of pioneers developed ETI - sceptics called us a passing fad.”
Since then the scheme has attracted the support of key value retailers and middle size brands, said Roberts, and has encouraged corporate, trade union and NGO members to work together under its tri-partite model. “A decade ago businesses would have recoiled from the scrutiny of trade unions, and vice versa. But under the ETI’s umbrella, many former adversaries are now sharing a common vision,” he said.
“Ten years ago there were not many tools to negotiate ethical trade - today, ETI has a global reputation as a hub of good practice and has developed a raft of sought-after training programmes.”
The ETI helped spearhead the campaign to establish the Gangmasters Licensing Authority in the UK, to prevent exploitation of workers in various industries including agriculture, and across the world has helped improve wages, social security and sick pay for workers and reduced instances of child labour and working hours.
“Last year we touched in excess of 55,000 improvements in supplier workplaces,” said Roberts. “But our combined best efforts have not been good enough - although individual companies have made headway, conditions for many workers remain poor. There have been tangible achievements, but there are challenges ahead.”
Dan Rees, ETI director, said: “Our combined momentum has been a strong vehicle in delivering rights to workers around the world.
“But the trends for workers are getting worse in the current climate and ETI has prioritised three issues for progress - improving minimum wages, integration of ethical standards and establishing a mature system of industrial relations.”
ETI membership has grown by 20 per cent in the last two years, said Rees, but to make ends meet more activities achieved in tighter timescales are necessary.
“We are investing heavily in worker stories as key communication tools and in the summer launched our Ethical Pest campaign for consumers,” he said. “We are determined to up our game - none of us want to go on as we are, least of all the workers. Each of us has a stake in a better working world - let’s make the next decade one in which we make it.”
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