Background

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The panel will tackle the ongoing challenges faced by workers in the global industry, with a specific emphasis on the garment and fashion sectors in Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. 

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Through a documentary and a strategic panel discussion, the panel will delve into the systemic issues impacting workers' rights and identify methods to utilize Workforce, Worker-Voice Data, and Collaborative Safety Measures effectively, to foster an environment where workers' rights are prioritized and addressed to promote inclusivity and equity. 

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The panel is co-organised by the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) and Labs Initiative. 

 

Session 1: Documentary Screening 

This session will present the TRF documentary titled "Zara's Owner Promised to be Sustainable. Its Tactics Say Otherwise," which sheds light on the realities experienced by garment workers, focusing on Zara and its parent company, Inditex. The film provides exclusive access to factory floors and worker stories, complemented by interviews with industry leaders, labour experts, and union organizers. It will serve as a catalyst to further investigate labour violations and emphasize the necessity for a responsible business ecosystem to effectively and systematically address these concerns.

 

Session 2: Panel Discussion 

The following panel discussion will build upon the topics highlighted in the documentary, involving the audience through a multi-stakeholder panel. This session will showcase real-world examples of how workforce challenges can be addressed through data and collaborative safety measures. 

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As global mandates increasingly require businesses to disclose workforce information, the panel will place workforce data within a broader context, encompassing finance markets and supply chains to explore how this data influences investment behavior, buyer-supplier relationships, and policymakers' expectations. By integrating Worker-Voice data, the panel also emphasizes the importance of using this data for meaningful engagement, ensuring that workers' perspectives are central to decision-making processes. Finally, the panel will also showcase market-driven program that promotes safe working conditions in the apparel footwear, and accessories supply chain across Vietnam, India, Cambodia, and Indonesia. 

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By presenting case studies, successful strategies, and innovative tools, the panel will highlight how workers’ rights organizations, businesses, and investors can be supported in their efforts to foster a more responsible business environment through data.

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Key Objectives

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• Highlight Systemic Challenges and Labor Violations: The session will use insights from the documentary and case studies from the garment sector to expose systemic challenges and labor violations faced by workers, particularly in Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. It aims to underscore the necessity for a responsible business ecosystem that prioritizes workers' rights.

• Leverage Workforce and Safety Data: The panel discussion will focus on the effective collection, utilization, and application of workforce and safety data. By showcasing successful case studies, the session will demonstrate how this data can be used to improve workplace safety and uphold workers' rights, contributing to a responsible business environment.

• Influence Investment and Policy Decisions: The session aims to influence investment, buyer, and policy decisions by integrating workforce data into finance markets and supply chains. It seeks to foster system changes that strengthen supply chain resilience and human rights during crises, promoting responsible business practices.

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Guiding Questions

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• How can workers' voice and safety data be effectively utilized? How can businesses, worker voice organizations, and regulators efficiently gather, analyse, and implement workers' voice and safety data to prevent rights violations and improve workplace safety?

• What is the impact of workforce data on investment and policy? How does workforce and safety data influence investment behaviour, buyer-supplier relationships, and policymakers' expectations, and in what ways can it be used to foster responsible, crisis-resilient business practices?

• What systemic changes are needed for workers' rights and safety? What systemic transformations are necessary within the business ecosystem to prioritize and actively address workers' rights and safety, ensuring inclusivity, equity, and supply chain resilience in the region?

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Format

• The session will be a combination of documentary screening and panel discussions.

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Session Partners