Are you a public sector buyer in the UK looking for tools to help you comply with the Modern Slavery Act? Or are you simply looking for the most effective ways of eliminating human trafficking, slavery, and forced labour from your supply chain?  Electronics Watch can help with your ICT hardware supply chain.  This memo explains how.

by Region Stockholm (Sweden)

Public buyers in many countries have been able to promote supply chain transparency and better conditions in global supply chains, such as electronics, for several years already. Yet, we are only beginning to realise this potential of public procurement to drive improvements in supply chains. With this analysis we seek to push this development a bit further by suggesting areas of sustainability criteria for the EPEATTM ecolabel that best meet the needs of workers in the global electronics industry and address gaps in corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance.

Twenty-one public sector organisations and seven civil society monitoring organisations from 13 countries convened in Barcelona, Spain for the event, Affiliate Exchange for Impact. By facilitating learning and exchange, this event increased awareness about public buyers' collective leverage and how can be strengthened to protect the rights of workers in global supply chains. This document provides a redacted summary of the key takeaways and can be shared publicly.

Report prepared for Electronics Watch

BHRE Research Series, Policy Paper n. 7

Martina Trusgnach and Olga Martin-Ortega

This assessment tool supports public buyers in their efforts to ensure human rights due diligence in their supply chains in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The tool consists of questions public buyers can pose to their suppliers about occupational health and safety, labour rights, and other supply chain issues that Covid-19 impact. Public buyers can use the tool as a self-assessment questionnaire for suppliers and/or a guidance for human rights due diligence.

Also available in Spanish

This guidance provides essential background knowledge and practical steps to help public buyers protect workers from chemical hazards in their electronics supply chains. The guidance focuses on 12 chemicals that should be immediately discontinued and 16 that should be used only with adequate industrial hygiene measures.  It suggests both pre-award and post-award measures to screen our the worst offenders, reward suppliers who improve chemical safety, and improve the health and safety of workers in factories that make electronics products and components for public buyers.

by the Municipal Institute of Computer Science of Barcelona City Council (IMI)

by Municipality of Haarlem, the Netherlands

by Advanced Procurement for Universities & Colleges (APUC), Scotland

by the municipality of Stavanger (Norway)

This dialogue-based, strategic approach looks beyond the tendering phase to develop relationships with the market before and after tendering. One common format is hosting a dialogue event. This guide aims to support public authorities in this regard by providing a set of practical steps on how to plan a market dialogue event, online or in-person.

Electronics Watch and The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) have entered into a formal agreement whereby the two organizations will work together to address issues in the global supply chains of RBA members where products are manufactured for public procurement.

The latest UK Higher Education Framework Agreement for Apple products includes the Electronics Watch Contract Conditions.  Here is a summary of  the contractors' responsibilities under these Conditions.

This Electronics Watch study of the Swedish county councils' experience in working with its IT contractor, Atea, and subcontractor, Dell, to respect workers' rights in China contains valuable lessons for public sector buyers that seek to ensure respect for labour rights in their global supply chains.

The Electronics Watch Contractor Guidance is a detailed and comprehensive due diligence guide for ICT hardware contractors that sell products to public sector buyers.  It is designed to help these contractors comply with the Electronics Watch Contract Conditions and similar contract performance standards that aim to improve working conditions in factories that make the goods public sector organisations buy.  The Guidance defines 11 concrete outcomes to enhance supply chain transparency, industry cooperation with independent monitors, and factory compliance with labour rights and safety standards. Contractors must achieve outcomes within their direct control, and demonstrate effective due diligence towards achieving other outcomes. See praise for the Contractor Guidance from experts and public sector buyers here.

The Electronics Watch Contractor Guidance is also available in Catalan and French.

Employees who examine screens for blemishes under bright lights in large electronics suppliers have reported to Electronics Watch that their eyesight declines within a shortperiod of time. Their only recourse, some of them have told researchers, is to resign fromtheir jobs. These Guidelines to mitigate, prevent and remedy eye strain are intended toensure these workers and others who work under similar conditions do not need to resign in order to protect their health.

This guidance for remediation and prevention of migrant worker recruitment fees and related costs is intended as a framework to help public buyers detect when the recruitment of migrant workers at any point in their supply chains creates risk of forced labour through debt bondage; guide suppliers in detecting, remedying and preventing recruitment fees and related costs charged to migrant workers; and ensure appropriate remedy when migrant workers face risk of debt bondage caused by recruitment fees and related costs.

The new, flu-like virus first observed in China is now a worldwide epidemic with serious consequences and risks for workers' rights. The epidemic's effects will extend well beyond the risk of people becoming ill. Limits on people's mobility will obstruct their return to work, resulting in a loss of income for everyone involved.  People will struggle with the restrictive environment of monitoring and quarantining. Electronics Watch and the Economic Rights Institute has released guidance for public buyers to help protect the rights of workers in their supply chains affected by the epidemic.

The Scoring Guide for the Company Performance Tracker explains the scoring methodology and process of the CPT. The Guide helps all stakeholders understand how Electronics Watch measures performance and scores compliance. CPT scores and scoring reports will only be available to affiliates and relevant companies.