From P2P Foundation

Description

"Ethical trade involves UK companies adopting the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code: nine fundamental labour rights that they require their suppliers to work towards achieving. Although UK companies aren't directly employing these workers, they can have a huge effect on working conditions. For example, if a high street brand places a big order with suppliers on tight deadlines, chances are that workers will be forced to do dangerous levels of overtime. If a supermarket demands goods at a very low price, the workers will most likely receive poverty wages.

Ethical trade aims to change these practices through ETI members working with company suppliers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), workers and the unions that represent them." (http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-17916-f0.cfm)

More Information

See: the ETI Base Code, a set of minimum standards that ETI corporate members require their suppliers to work towards achieving. The standards are drawn from key conventions of the International Labour Organisation