High levels of unauthorised absence ring supply chain alarm bells

A high level of unauthorised absence should ring alarm bells for retailers when assessing their suppliers as it can often indicate poor working conditions says new research from Responsible Trade Worldwide (RTW).

Rebecca Taylor, who led the research at RTW commented: “Ethical trade is currently firmly on the retail supply chain management agenda following the tragedy at the textile factory in Bangladesh.This in turn has led to an increase in demand for transparency and clarity into the working practices of the suppliers that produce consumer goods, and their journey through often convoluted global supply chains.

“Our research shows that it is critical that retailers know about operational standards from the perspective of workers across the supply chain and this requires a shift from a compliance-based approach to one which embraces greater engagement with suppliers and workers. Retailers need to get to grips with working hours, wages, company culture, environmental policies and community engagement activities of their trading partners. This will provide a more complete view of a supplier and in turn will highlight areas of risk, and inform the business case for change.”

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Picture credit: © John Takai | Dreamstime.com