Human rights due diligence: a new tool for trade unions takes shape
A new initiative to strengthen trade unions’ capacity to protect
workers’ rights is taking shape, with UNI Global Union partnering with
IndustriALL, German trade union confederation DGB, and the Friedrich
Ebert Foundation (FES) to establish a Human Rights Due Diligence
Competence Centre in 2025. The Centre’s goal is to empower unions to use
new human rights due diligence laws to effectively protect workers’
rights.
From voluntary to mandatory corporate responsibility
Building on previously voluntary norms, such as the OECD Guidelines for
Multinationals and UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights,
human rights due diligence laws in Germany, France and the EU introduce
legally binding obligations for large companies to ensure respect for
human rights, including workers fundamental rights, throughout their
global operations and supply chains. For unions in Asia Pacific, where
many global supply chains are based, this represents a significant
opportunity to strengthen social dialogue with multinational companies.
The laws require companies to engage with stakeholders such as trade
unions at both global and local levels, potentially fostering more
systematic and meaningful social dialogue on workers’ rights issues.
The forthcoming Competence Centre will bridge the gap between European
legislation and global implementation through three focus areas:
Building union capacity to use due diligence laws effectively
Supporting specific cases of workers’ rights impacts
Advocating for effective implementation of human rights due diligence laws with companies and policy makers.
Consultation workshop
An online consultation workshop was held on 15 January, attracting over
60 participants from UNI affiliates, sister global union federations,
and FES country officers across Asia Pacific and Africa. This workshop
marked the first significant event for 2025 and is part of a series of
consultations that began in September 2024. The workshop, co-facilitated
by Britta Utz (FES Trade Union Coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa),
Monica Tepfer (ITUC Legal Officer), and Miriam Neale (UNI Global Union),
emphasized the crucial role of trade unions in HRDD implementation,
including:
Participating in dialogue on company due diligence policies and
management systems
Notifying companies of issues affecting workers’ fundamental rights
Consulting workers on appropriate remedies
Scrutinizing company reports for due diligence gaps
Enforcing accountability when companies fail to conduct proper due
diligence
The participants explored several case studies demonstrating the
potential impact of HRDD laws, including strengthening global framework
agreements, establishing credible worker complaints mechanisms, and
using enforcement mechanisms.
