Asos, Bestseller, H&M, Inditex and 15 Other Brands to Push for Workers' Rights in Turkey

Asos, Bestseller, H&M, G-Star Raw, Inditex, C&A are among global 19 brands who have agreed to exhort garment and textile factories in Turkey to respect workers’ rights.

Long Story, Cut Short
  • ACT has enacted the Türkiye Freedom of Association (FoA) Annex to the ACT Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
  • The FOA Annex contextualises global freedom of association commitments made by brands in the ACT MoU.
  • The Türkiye FOA Annex came into force on 15 August.
ACT members are working towards building the type of industry in Turkey that will enable workers to receive a living wage. Enacting key Freedom of Association commitments made by members in the ACT MOU and employer engagement are priorities for ACT members in Turkey.
Living Wage Issue ACT members are working towards building the type of industry in Turkey that will enable workers to receive a living wage. Enacting key Freedom of Association commitments made by members in the ACT MOU and employer engagement are priorities for ACT members in Turkey. International Labour Organisation

The ACT initiative—an agreement between 19 global brands and IndustriALL Global Union—has decided to pressure garment and textile factories in Turkey into respecting workers' rights. The Türkiye FOA Annex came into force on 15 August.

The move: ACT has enacted the Türkiye Freedom of Association (FoA) Annex to the ACT Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The Annex was agreed between 17 ACT member brands sourcing from Turkey and IndustriALL, including its affiliates in Turkey.

  • Reflecting international and national core labour legislation that are covered by all brands’ codes of conduct, it is an industrial Relations agreement which covers all supply chain units in the Turkish textile, garment and leather industries producing for ACT member brands.

The FOA Annex: The FOA Annex contextualises global freedom of association commitments made by brands in the ACT Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

  • It reflects the unique industrial relations challenges faced by industry stakeholders and establishes a clear, efficient and result-oriented protocol to continue supporting constructive and mature industrial relations in Turkey.

Brand signatories: The following brands are signatories to the ACT Mou:

  1. Asos
  2. Bestseller
  3. Big W
  4. C&A
  5. Cotton On Group
  6. Esprit
  7. G-Star Raw
  8. H&M
  9. Inditex
  10. Kmart
  11. Lidl
  12. New Look
  13. Next
  14. Pentland
  15. Primark
  16. PVH
  17. Tchibo
  18. Tesco
  19. Zalando

This agreement reflects the strong commitment ACT members have to building a sustainable, stable and fair industry in Türkiye . IndustriALL and our Turkish affiliates Deriteks Sendikası, Disk Tekstil Iscileri Sendikasi, Öz Iklip-Iz and Teksif and look forward to working closely with ACT member brands and their suppliers now that the Annex is enacted.

Christina Hajagos-Clausen
Director (Textile and Garment Industry)
IndustriALL
Christina Hajagos-Clausen
 
 
  • Dated posted: 16 August 2022
  • Last modified: 16 August 2022