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The six ‘C’s of ethical trading Commitment. The company must provide evidence that it’s paying a lot more than lip service to ethical trade. How much money they spend on ethical trade and how many staff work on it are key signs of real commitment. Checks in place. Knowing what’s happening on the ground is a key step for companies towards behaving responsibly. If they don’t know what and where the problems are, how are they going to fix them? The company must have a credible system for assessing workers’ conditions. Corrective action. It’s not enough to just find out where the problems are. Retailers need to agree with their suppliers what improvements to workers’ conditions are necessary and when they should be made, and should follow up with them to make sure agreed improvements happen. Capacity building. Retailers must make sure that their staff and suppliers get adequate training and support. Core business. Making sure companies integrate their ethical principles into core business decisions – like the prices they pay their suppliers, and the lead times given to them to complete orders – is key to achieving widespread change for workers. This often where companies fall down. Collaboration. The only way for retailers to really make a difference is by working with each other – as well as with organisations that either represent and/or have specialised knowledge of workers’ issues such as trade unions and charities, for example as part of the Ethical Trading Initiative.
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