Transnational solidarity along supply chains

It a breakthrough When South African agricultural workers in winegrowing no longer sit ‘under the table’ but at the negotiating table with their employers. This did not come about on its own: it took the commitment of both the workers and the works councillors from a large German retail group, which sources a large proportion of its wine from South Africa, for the social dialogue to come about. Now the employees have clean drinking water. 

Indian textile workers protested against a giant in the international textile industry when works councillors in Germany were to be dismissed. When seamstresses in Bangladesh went on strike for decent wages, works councillors from Germany contacted the textile company. Solidarity clearly goes both ways, and it can indeed be organised along value chains. This is one of the key findings of the cooperation between Ver.di's commerce section and seamstresses in South Asia and food producers in Brazil and South Africa, which was the subject of the international conference ‘Solidarity along value chains’ organised by FES, ver.di and TIE on 8/9 October 2024. 

By cultivating relationships between trade unionists over many years, it is possible to persuade some of the responsible companies to negotiate in order to remedy grievances on the ground. To ensure that this no longer depends on the goodwill of the companies but happens across the board, ver.di Chairman Frank Werneke emphasised how important it is to consistently apply the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. Only then can companies no longer shirk their responsibilities.

Shield and lever

The trade union itself is called upon to support this. This is no easy task, as there are thousands of supply chains that fall under the extended remit of the retail sector. Creating operational structures here and not overburdening the trade union secretaries and works council members requires a concerted effort. The expectations are clear: trade unionists from Costa Rica and Ecuador emphasised that a withdrawal of the law would have direct and serious consequences for their colleagues on the banana plantations. They would be deprived of the protection under which they now dare to fight for better working conditions in an environment that is sometimes dangerous for them personally. According to Jorge Acosta from ASTAC in Ecuador, the law is both a protective shield and a lever. 

The instrument of health mapping has proven to be a means of entering into dialogue with companies. Employees come together and use a sketch of a human body to visualise the health complaints they suffer from. It often turns out that what was previously seen as an individual problem is now a collective issue. This can then be worked on together and become part of the catalogue of demands towards the company. The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act also helps here, because if the plantation owners refuse to engage in dialogue, the purchasing German retail company can exert pressure through mediation by ver.di works councils. The fact that this is often necessary shows that in too many cases there is no freedom of association and collective bargaining along the supply chain. 

Technology vs. health in the workplace

Participants at the conference also agreed that pressure on workers is increasing everywhere - in Indian textile factories, German H&M shops and Brazilian orange juice plantations. An additional reason for this are digital applications that enable companies to demand and control timely production and to precisely record and monitor the activities of workers. This is reason enough to pay attention to the introduction and use of digital technologies, to negotiate them and to exchange information internationally. What's more, it is time to create a transnational negotiating space for issues relating to the use of technology and health in the workplace. This would allow trade unions in the North and South to properly negotiate about the increasingly difficult working conditions.