PR98530

PARIS and AMSTERDAM, Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced Labour and AIM-Progress member

companies release step-by-step guide for repayment of worker-paid recruitment

fees

- Around one-fifth of all people in forced labour exploitation in the private

economy are in situations of debt bondage, which can be caused by paying

recruitment fees

- New Guidance is designed to be used by all employers throughout the consumer

goods value chain

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced

Labour (HRC)

[https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/social-sustainability/human-rights-ending

-forced-labour/?utm_source=newswires&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hrc-repaym

ent-guidance-launch], in partnership with AIM-Progress

[https://www.aim-progress.com/], has today released new "Guidance on the

Repayment of Worker-paid Recruitment Fees and Related Costs"

[https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-HRC-Guide

lines-on-Repayment-of-Recruitment-Fees.pdf?utm_source=newswires&utm_medium=refer

ral&utm_campaign=hrc-repayment-guidance-launch] to support corporate action

around the topic of remediating worker-paid recruitment fees. As workers in

global supply chains – particularly migrant workers – may be coerced to pay

fees to recruitment agencies in order to secure jobs, they are at risk of

falling into debt bondage, which may lead to cases of forced labour. According

to the International Labour Organization (ILO)

[https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_855019/lang--en/ind

ex.htm], around one-fifth of all people in forced labour exploitation in the

private economy are in situations of debt bondage.

This Guidance is intended to be a practical tool for all businesses to help

ensure their recruitment and employment practices respect the CGF's Priority

Industry Principles (PIPs), which were launched in 2017 and define the most

common, yet problematic, employment practices which can lead to cases of forced

labour. The PIPs state:

- Every worker should have freedom of movement.

- No worker should pay for a job.

- No worker should be indebted or coerced to work.

Today's Guidance is a powerful tool to support companies respect these

Principles, particularly the second – no worker should pay for a job – as well

as the Employer Pays Principle, in their employment practices. The Guidance is

designed to be updated as the global sustainability landscape evolves,

businesses enhance their human rights due diligence (HRDD) systems

[https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/social-sustainability/human-rights-ending

-forced-labour/key-projects/human-rights-due-diligence-hrdd/?utm_source=newswire

s&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hrc-repayment-guidance-launch], and more

actors undergo the remediation process. With its step-by-step guidelines for

how to repay workers for any recruitment fees and related costs, the HRC and

AIM-Progress invite all relevant actors from different sectors to use this

Guidance as a tool to strengthen their HRDD approach, especially in areas where

recruitment fees are a common practice, to ensure responsible recruitment of

workers worldwide

[https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/social-sustainability/human-rights-ending

-forced-labour/responsible-recruitment-employment/?utm_source=newswires&utm_medi

um=referral&utm_campaign=hrc-repayment-guidance-launch].

The Guidance was released during a session at the CGF's annual Sustainable

Retail Summit

[https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/events/sustainable-retail-summit/?utm_sou

rce=newswires&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hrc-repayment-guidance-launch]

about "Industry Action on Responsible Recruitment to Fight Forced Labour"

featuring Didier Bergeret, The Consumer Goods Forum; Heidi Koester Oliveira,

Mars, Inc.; Anbinh X. Phan, Walmart; Benjamin Gatland, The Heineken Company;

and Rosey Hurst, Impactt. The Guidance is derived and aligned with Impactt's

"Principles and Guidelines for the Repayment of Migrant Worker Recruitment Fees

and Related Costs."

[https://impacttlimited.com/principles-for-repayment-of-recruitment-fees/]

As an initiative of 30 of the world's largest consumer goods manufacturers and

retailers, the HRC is committed to helping achieve fair and decent working

conditions worldwide by eradicating forced labour from its supply chains. The

work of the HRC continues the CGF's long history of engagement on the issue of

forced labour within consumer goods supply chains by building on the CGF's

Social Resolution on Forced Labour, the first of its kind in the industry; its

Priority Industry Principles; and ongoing relationships with key stakeholders

in the industry.

AIM-PROGRESS is a global initiative of fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers

and their common suppliers with a mission is to positively impact people's

lives and ensure respect for human rights, while delivering value to our

members and their supply chains. This is done across four areas: human rights

priorities and respective Working Groups, the Regional Hubs, Mutual Recognition

work stream to create synergies in approaches, and the Capability Building work

stream to equip our members with knowledge and ability to execute strong

responsible and sustainable sourcing programmes.

Didier Bergeret, CGF Director of Sustainability, said, "With the ILO releasing

new calculations on modern slavery that show more people worldwide are in cases

of forced labour compared to 2016, all employers have a responsibility to step

up actions to ensure their workers are recruited and employed fairly. This

Guidance offers step-by-step advice for businesses on how to address the

important topic of recruitment fees."

Louise Herring, Executive Director of AIM-Progress, said, "Responsible

recruitment is a central focus of AIM-Progress's and its members' work on human

rights. We recognise that providing practical guidance, alongside hands-on

support, to suppliers and recruitment intermediaries is critical for improving

supply chain practices. We hope this Guidance will support further

collaboration between supply chain partners to remediate and tackle the root

causes of recruitment fees."

Heidi Koester Oliveira, Global Director, Social Impact, Mars, said,

"Responsible recruitment is not the norm in certain global supply chains, and

that's why Mars is working with major brands and retailers to shift systems,

support suppliers, and show that progress is possible. We believe that

vulnerable workers can be recruited responsibly – without bearing fees and

expenses –  when the true cost of recruitment is shared across the value chain.

This Guidance can support companies in addressing recruitment fees where they

are identified, so we can move forward to focus on government advocacy and new

systems, controls, and commercial levers to eliminate this practice."

Rachel Cowburn-Walden, Global Head of Sustainability, Human Rights, Unilever,

said,  "Unilever supports the launch of this Guidance which includes practical

steps that, when implemented, will help workers, reduce business risks and

create a more responsible recruitment industry."

Rosey Hurst, Founder of Impactt, said, "We welcome the launch of this Guidance

which has the potential to drive remedy at scale across global supply chains

and make a significant contribution to reducing debt bondage and repaying

hundreds of millions of dollars to workers who have paid fees".

The full guidance is available here

[https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-HRC-Guide

lines-on-Repayment-of-Recruitment-Fees.pdf?utm_source=newswires&utm_medium=refer

ral&utm_campaign=hrc-repayment-guidance-launch]. To learn more about the work

of the HRC, visit www.tcgfsocial.com .

About the Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced Labour

The CGF Human Rights Coalition – Working to End Forced Labour (HRC) is a

CEO-led Coalition of Action from The Consumer Goods Forum. As an initiative of

30 of the world's largest consumer goods companies, the HRC is committed to

helping achieve fair and decent working conditions worldwide by eradicating

forced labour from its supply chains. The work of the HRC continues the CGF's

long history of engagement on the issue of forced labour within consumer goods

supply chains by building on the CGF's Social Resolution on Forced Labour, the

first of its kind in the industry; its Priority Industry Principles, and

ongoing relationships with key stakeholders in the industry. For more

information about the HRC, visit www.tcgfsocial.com .

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") is a global, parity-based industry network

that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and

standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together

the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service

providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the

diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its

member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ

nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated

along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which

comprises more than 55 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information,

please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com .

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SOURCE: The Consumer Goods Forum