The UK-based project, is an alliance of companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and labour unions world-wide, announced its new members on May 2.

'What we ask of members is to demonstrate a commitment to promote international labour standards with their suppliers and they sign up to the nine principles in our code of practice,' explained ETI director Dan Rees. 'It doesn't mean we certify they conform to international standards, but that they are working to deal with those issues to ensure the standards are met.' The two produce multi-nationals best known for bananas join M&W Mack, Asda, the Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Safeway, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Tesco, the Trades Union Congress and the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF) in the 40-strong membership group of the ETI.

The announcement comes a week after some banana companies operating in Ecuador were criticised by a Human Rights Watch report in which Chiquita came off more favourably. The company signed an international worker rights agreement in June 2001 with the IUF and COLSIBA, the co-ordinating body for Latin American banana workers' unions.

'Joining ETI is very important for us,' said Dennis Christou, vice-president of marketing at Chiquita Europe. 'It is part of our process of continuing improvement of corporate responsibility. Part of that is to engage in dialogue with members of civil society and ETI is uniquely qualified to provide that.'

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