Will transparent reporting Lead to Better labour practices?

On May 18, 2006 the Ethical Trading Action Group (ETAG) sponsored a public forum in Toronto on transparency, reporting and collaboration to resolve labour rights issues in company supply chains. The meeting was followed by a civil society strategy meeting the following day.

Panels:

What Should Companies Report and Why? Is there a Downside to Transparency?

An interactive interview session, to explore and debate:

• What are companies currently reporting on labour standards issues, and to whom?
• What should companies report on labour standards issues, why, and to whom?
• If more information was disclosed, how would companies, NGOs, unions use the information?
• What role, if any, should government play in promoting more transparent reporting?

Moderators:

• Dara O’Rourke, University of California at Berkeley
• Neil Kearney, General Secretary, International Textile, Garment and Leatherworkers Federation (ITGLWF)

On the Hot Seat:

• Caitlin Morris, Director of Integration & Collaboration, Compliance - Nike
• Anna Walker, Manager, Government Affairs and Public Policy - Levi Strauss
• Diane Brisebois, President and CEO - Retail Council of Canada
• Lakshmi Bhatia, Director, Global Partnerships - Gap, Inc.
• Kevin Thomas, Policy Analyst, Maquila Solidarity Network / ETAG

Collaboration with and among Stakeholders:

Why is it essential? What can be achieved? What are the Challenges?

• How can companies, NGOs, unions, and researchers use information disclosed to promote sustainable compliance in the industry?
• How can companies, NGOs and trade unions work together to promote sustainable compliance?
• What role could government play in supporting and/or participating in such collaborative initiatives?

Panelists:

• Lakshmi Bhatia, Director Global Partnerships, Gap, Inc. – MFA Forum in Bangladesh and Lesotho
• Neil Kearney, General Secretary, ITGLWF – What’s essential for collaboration to work: A labour perspective (Experiences in Lesotho, Bangladesh and elsewhere)
• Harvey Chan, Social Compliance Manager, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) – The Canadian Experience

Read a review of the forum here.