Latest Information

We are delighted to announce the publication of Material Concerns: How responsible sourcing can deliver the goods for business and workers in the garment industry, a report which we have co-authored with the fairtrade organisation Traidcraft.This report is aimed at the sourcing and commercial directors of retailers and brands and sets out a new approach [More…]

During a time of unprecedented economic turmoil, it seems that consumers are hanging on to their ethics, even if their commitment to environmental issues may be wavering.  The Grocer  reports on research carried out by the oddly named research company, Feel: ‘despite feeling the pinch, 92% of consumers still claimed to be willing to [More…]

The minimum wage in the UK will rise today, 1st October, in the 10th Anniversary year of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation being passed.
Minimum wage rates for over 21s will rise from £5.52 to £5.73 per hour, whilst the minimum wage for 18 to 22 year olds increases from £4.60 to £4.77, and from [More…]

The International Commission of Jurists, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the legal promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law, publish their findings on a 2 year study on Corporate Complicity and Legal Accountability for gross human rights abuses this week.
The study looks at corporate ‘complicity’ in the actions of a [More…]

Labour behind the Label (LBL) has published its annual ‘Let’s Clean up Fashion’ report on the labour standards of high street fashion retailers. Like previous reports it makes fascinating reading.
This year’s report focuses on retailers’ efforts on Living Wages. This is a crucial area for ethical trade and labour standards, particularly in the era [More…]

 India’s Tata Group has strongly indicated it might discontinue the manufacture of the world’s cheapest car in the state of West Bengal. While India is eagerly awaiting the launch of ‘Tata Nano’, priced at Rs 100,000 ($2500), the ride towards getting this car into the market has been anything but easy.
There have been severe [More…]

As part of Impactt’s launch of our Asia Pacific Network we are issuing a series of viewpoints identifying the most pressing labour standards issues in our network countries. Our first viewpoint comes from Juliet Edington our associate in Vietnam and focuses on the impacts of high inflation on workers’ livelihoods.
This year the issue of wages [More…]

The Centre for Sustainable Fashion report 2008, has called attention once again to sustainability within the fashion industry. The report follows a wave of recent media attention on the industry including; Panorama’s ‘Primark on the rack’ (BBC1, 9pm, 23 June 2008) and the BBC reality TV programme Blood, Sweat and T-shirts.

Today, on the 10th Anniversary of minimum wage legislation in the UK, the government have announced their intention to reform the rules on the use of tips to ‘top-up’ wages to minimum wage level.
We would like to congratulate the swift work of those who have campaigned on this issue, and have achieved a meaningful [More…]

 
A campaign launched by The Independent last week aims to highlight the treatment of waiters and waitresses working in some of the biggest name high-street restaurant chains. In an article entitled “Revealed: how the restaurant chains pocket your tips” The Independent exposed a series of unfair practices in the restaurant industry. The article showed [More…]