Mar 032013
 
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DEFEND FAIR TRADE: ASK IMO FAIR FOR LIFE TO PROTECT WORKERS

Consumers rely on certification labels to ensure the products they buy are free of human and labor rights violations. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. Take action and demand that IMO’s Fair for Life certification label adopt reforms to protect workers. CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

This week the International Labor Rights Forum released a report detailing how the Swiss-based Institute for Marketecology’s (IMO) Fair for Life fair trade label neglected to intervene to uphold its commitment to fair trade standards.

The report, titled Aiding and Abetting, exposes how IMO branded Theo Chocolate, a Seattle-based chocolate company, as fair trade despite being informed by Theo workers that the company had hired an anti-union consultant and was violating U.S. and international labor standards during a union organizing campaign.

When Theo workers decided to join the Teamsters, management responded with hostility, intimidation and retaliation including threatening to close the company if workers formed a union, harassing union supporters, driving several workers to leave the company, and firing at least one union supporter. Theo workers were able to convince IMO to conduct an audit post-certification, but IMO upheld Theo’s fair trade certification and told the workers that the results of the audit were confidential. IMO soon after issued new labor standards, which actually recommend employers hire consultants to talk to workers about the pros and cons of organizing – effectively justifying Theo’s actions.

These workers put their trust in fair trade standards but when Theo crushed them, IMO certified it. Join us in calling on IMO and Theo to improve stakeholder involvement and transparency as the next steps in ensuring truly fair supply chains.

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: Demand IMO Fair for Life and Theo protect workers.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://action.laborrights.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5554#sthash.BgZAoje3.dpuf

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: ASK IMO FAIR FOR LIFE TO PROTECT WORKERS

Consumers rely on certification labels to ensure the products they buy are free of human and labor rights violations. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. Take action and demand that IMO’s Fair for Life certification label adopt reforms to protect workers. CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

This week the International Labor Rights Forum released a report detailing how the Swiss-based Institute for Marketecology’s (IMO) Fair for Life fair trade label neglected to intervene to uphold its commitment to fair trade standards.

The report, titled Aiding and Abetting, exposes how IMO branded Theo Chocolate, a Seattle-based chocolate company, as fair trade despite being informed by Theo workers that the company had hired an anti-union consultant and was violating U.S. and international labor standards during a union organizing campaign.

When Theo workers decided to join the Teamsters, management responded with hostility, intimidation and retaliation including threatening to close the company if workers formed a union, harassing union supporters, driving several workers to leave the company, and firing at least one union supporter. Theo workers were able to convince IMO to conduct an audit post-certification, but IMO upheld Theo’s fair trade certification and told the workers that the results of the audit were confidential. IMO soon after issued new labor standards, which actually recommend employers hire consultants to talk to workers about the pros and cons of organizing – effectively justifying Theo’s actions.

These workers put their trust in fair trade standards but when Theo crushed them, IMO certified it. Join us in calling on IMO and Theo to improve stakeholder involvement and transparency as the next steps in ensuring truly fair supply chains.

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: Demand IMO Fair for Life and Theo protect workers.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://action.laborrights.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5554#sthash.BgZAoje3.dpuf

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: ASK IMO FAIR FOR LIFE TO PROTECT WORKERS

Consumers rely on certification labels to ensure the products they buy are free of human and labor rights violations. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. Take action and demand that IMO’s Fair for Life certification label adopt reforms to protect workers. CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

This week the International Labor Rights Forum released a report detailing how the Swiss-based Institute for Marketecology’s (IMO) Fair for Life fair trade label neglected to intervene to uphold its commitment to fair trade standards.

The report, titled Aiding and Abetting, exposes how IMO branded Theo Chocolate, a Seattle-based chocolate company, as fair trade despite being informed by Theo workers that the company had hired an anti-union consultant and was violating U.S. and international labor standards during a union organizing campaign.

When Theo workers decided to join the Teamsters, management responded with hostility, intimidation and retaliation including threatening to close the company if workers formed a union, harassing union supporters, driving several workers to leave the company, and firing at least one union supporter. Theo workers were able to convince IMO to conduct an audit post-certification, but IMO upheld Theo’s fair trade certification and told the workers that the results of the audit were confidential. IMO soon after issued new labor standards, which actually recommend employers hire consultants to talk to workers about the pros and cons of organizing – effectively justifying Theo’s actions.

These workers put their trust in fair trade standards but when Theo crushed them, IMO certified it. Join us in calling on IMO and Theo to improve stakeholder involvement and transparency as the next steps in ensuring truly fair supply chains.

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: Demand IMO Fair for Life and Theo protect workers.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://action.laborrights.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5554#sthash.BgZAoje3.dpuf

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: ASK IMO FAIR FOR LIFE TO PROTECT WORKERS

Consumers rely on certification labels to ensure the products they buy are free of human and labor rights violations. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. Take action and demand that IMO’s Fair for Life certification label adopt reforms to protect workers. CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

This week the International Labor Rights Forum released a report detailing how the Swiss-based Institute for Marketecology’s (IMO) Fair for Life fair trade label neglected to intervene to uphold its commitment to fair trade standards.

The report, titled Aiding and Abetting, exposes how IMO branded Theo Chocolate, a Seattle-based chocolate company, as fair trade despite being informed by Theo workers that the company had hired an anti-union consultant and was violating U.S. and international labor standards during a union organizing campaign.

When Theo workers decided to join the Teamsters, management responded with hostility, intimidation and retaliation including threatening to close the company if workers formed a union, harassing union supporters, driving several workers to leave the company, and firing at least one union supporter. Theo workers were able to convince IMO to conduct an audit post-certification, but IMO upheld Theo’s fair trade certification and told the workers that the results of the audit were confidential. IMO soon after issued new labor standards, which actually recommend employers hire consultants to talk to workers about the pros and cons of organizing – effectively justifying Theo’s actions.

These workers put their trust in fair trade standards but when Theo crushed them, IMO certified it. Join us in calling on IMO and Theo to improve stakeholder involvement and transparency as the next steps in ensuring truly fair supply chains.

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: Demand IMO Fair for Life and Theo protect workers.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://action.laborrights.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5554#sthash.BgZAoje3.dpuf

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: ASK IMO FAIR FOR LIFE TO PROTECT WORKERS

Consumers rely on certification labels to ensure the products they buy are free of human and labor rights violations. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. Take action and demand that IMO’s Fair for Life certification label adopt reforms to protect workers. CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

This week the International Labor Rights Forum released a report detailing how the Swiss-based Institute for Marketecology’s (IMO) Fair for Life fair trade label neglected to intervene to uphold its commitment to fair trade standards.

The report, titled Aiding and Abetting, exposes how IMO branded Theo Chocolate, a Seattle-based chocolate company, as fair trade despite being informed by Theo workers that the company had hired an anti-union consultant and was violating U.S. and international labor standards during a union organizing campaign.

When Theo workers decided to join the Teamsters, management responded with hostility, intimidation and retaliation including threatening to close the company if workers formed a union, harassing union supporters, driving several workers to leave the company, and firing at least one union supporter. Theo workers were able to convince IMO to conduct an audit post-certification, but IMO upheld Theo’s fair trade certification and told the workers that the results of the audit were confidential. IMO soon after issued new labor standards, which actually recommend employers hire consultants to talk to workers about the pros and cons of organizing – effectively justifying Theo’s actions.

These workers put their trust in fair trade standards but when Theo crushed them, IMO certified it. Join us in calling on IMO and Theo to improve stakeholder involvement and transparency as the next steps in ensuring truly fair supply chains.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://action.laborrights.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5554#sthash.BgZAoje3.dpuf

DEFEND FAIR TRADE: ASK IMO FAIR FOR LIFE TO PROTECT WORKERS

Consumers rely on certification labels to ensure the products they buy are free of human and labor rights violations. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. Take action and demand that IMO’s Fair for Life certification label adopt reforms to protect workers. CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

This week the International Labor Rights Forum released a report detailing how the Swiss-based Institute for Marketecology’s (IMO) Fair for Life fair trade label neglected to intervene to uphold its commitment to fair trade standards.

The report, titled Aiding and Abetting, exposes how IMO branded Theo Chocolate, a Seattle-based chocolate company, as fair trade despite being informed by Theo workers that the company had hired an anti-union consultant and was violating U.S. and international labor standards during a union organizing campaign.

When Theo workers decided to join the Teamsters, management responded with hostility, intimidation and retaliation including threatening to close the company if workers formed a union, harassing union supporters, driving several workers to leave the company, and firing at least one union supporter. Theo workers were able to convince IMO to conduct an audit post-certification, but IMO upheld Theo’s fair trade certification and told the workers that the results of the audit were confidential. IMO soon after issued new labor standards, which actually recommend employers hire consultants to talk to workers about the pros and cons of organizing – effectively justifying Theo’s actions.

These workers put their trust in fair trade standards but when Theo crushed them, IMO certified it. Join us in calling on IMO and Theo to improve stakeholder involvement and transparency as the next steps in ensuring truly fair supply chains.

 

 

 

– See more at: http://action.laborrights.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5554#sthash.BgZAoje3.dpuf

World of work issues now "the centre of discontent".

from the International Labor Organization

GENEVA (ILO News) – ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, has called for “smart social policies” to tackle the global economic recovery which, he said, hangs in the balance.

“Tipping that balance towards sustainable growth and development means tackling social injustice,” he said, in a statement marking World Day for Social Justice.

According to Ryder, “the world of work is now at the centre of discontent and must be an integral part in shaping a different, more just, global order for the future.”

“With full employment, the interdependent world economy would perform much better,” he said.

Ryder underlined his argument by referring to the dismal global situation the world of work is facing: 200 million unemployed, a further 870 million working poor, some 74 million unemployed youth, persisting child and forced labour and more than half of the world population having no social security at all.

“With full employment, the interdependent world economy would perform much better,” he said.

“Yet, as things stand, there is a serious danger of resorting to “beggar-thy-neighbour” policies such as trade protection and competitive currency devaluation, as well as wage cuts and retrenchment.”

These trends “could leave everybody worse off, with economies weakening, deficits widening and social inequalities deepening,” he stressed.

The ILO Director-General did, however, highlight some encouraging signs.

“Some of the world’s most unequal societies are stepping up to the challenge of implementing smart social policies that are also an investment in a people-centred recovery.”

He mentioned developing countries in Asia and Latin America investing in stronger social protection floors and minimum wage systems. Such policies would help to narrow social gaps and stop the world economy from slipping into a double-dip recession.

About International Labour Organization


The ILO is the international organization responsible for drawing up and overseeing international labour standards. It is the only 'tripartite' United Nations agency that brings together representatives of governments, employers and workers to jointly shape policies and programmes promoting Decent Work for all. This unique arrangement gives the ILO an edge in incorporating 'real world' knowledge about employment and work.

© Copyright 2013 International Labour Organization, All rights Reserved. Written For: StraightGoods.ca
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