Step 4: Communicate and Train Across a Supply Chain

Header Photo Credit: Christina Morillo_Pexels

Key Points:

The following stakeholders should receive training: Workers and Trade Unions, Vendors and Agents, Management and Supervisors, and Human Resources Staff

Effective communication is an important aspect of any worker-driven social compliance program and helps to ensure that key supply chain partners understand and implement codes of conduct.
Training about communication, capacity building, and the importance of continuous improvement help sustain progress toward greater compliance.
High-quality training should be targeted to different stakeholders, including those beyond the first tier, including:
- Company employees.
- Vendors or agents, if applicable.
- Suppliers at various tiers of a supply chain.
- Labor brokers, recruiters, and employment agencies, if applicable.
- Workers and trade unions.
- Communities and civil society groups.
It is important to note that in some industries, particularly agriculture, some workers may not be literate. For example, the C.A.F.E Practices Code of Conduct includes a requirement that all workers who are illiterate be informed verbally of their rights.
Note that Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is a good entry point for companies to begin engaging their suppliers on issues of human rights, including identifying and remediating cases of child labor and forced labor and acceptable conditions of work.
- OSH is viewed as a non-contentious, technical topic as stakeholders see improvements that benefit both employers and workers.