ASOS signs workers’ rights deal in partnership with ITF union

Digital global fashion retailer ASOS has signed an agreement with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) union “to protect transport workers’ rights and enhance the safety, resilience and sustainability of its supply chains”.

The “legally-binding” agreement “builds on ASOS’ long-standing leadership in embedding human rights across its business and supply chains, extending this commitment into transport and logistics”, it said at launch.

Under the human rights due diligence (HRDD) agreement, ASOS and the ITF will cooperate in conducting HRDD in ASOS’ transport operations and logistics, “ensuring respect for human rights and sustainability throughout ASOS’ supply chains”.

ITF will support the business in policy design, the identification, avoidance and mitigation of risk, and the determination of remedies if rights are violated, they said.

The pair will also engage with the retailer’s brand partners to share resources and educational tools on HRDD relating to transport and logistics.

ASOS chief executive José Antonio Ramos Calamonte said: “Enhancing the human rights of everyone involved in our value chain – from designing and making clothes, to warehousing, shipping and delivery – has been a core mission for [ours] for close to a decade.

“Our new agreement with ITF will enable us to take our work even further and extend our action to protecting and improving the human rights of workers in our transport and logistics supply chain, reducing risk and improving supply chain resilience while delivering positive change for the people supporting our business.”