ElectroPower project

Enhancing worker-driven approaches to prevent and remedy forced labour in electronics supply chains in Asia

Electronics Watch is a partner in the ElectroPower project led by Südwind. Running until the end of 2028, ElectroPower is funded by the European Commission, NDICI-Global Europe, Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy.

With targeted support for trade union organising activities, strengthening of collaboration between trade unions and civil society organisations, the development of grievance mechanisms, and the strategic use of public procurement as a lever, ElectroPower works against forced labour and towards fair and safe working conditions in the electronics industry. The project focuses on workers, unions and civil society organisations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Activities in Europe will include roundtables for public buyers and speaker tours.

Activities focus on empowering workers in the electronics supply chain to exercise their right to freedom of association in order to prevent and combat forced labour. The project will promote the inclusion of particularly vulnerable groups, including women and migrant workers, in trade unions and other organising structures. It will also seek to build decision-maker capacity at local, EU, and international levels – especially among public procurement authorities – to protect and enforce labour rights in the electronics industry. Electronics Watch leads on Work Package 3, 'Developing and reinforcing worker-driven social responsibility that empowers workers.'

Highlights of the ElectroPower project

Collaboration between trade unions and civil society organisations

ElectroPower will strengthen collaboration between national and global trade unions and local civil society organisations to strengthen grievance and remedy capacities against forced labour. The project will support organising efforts in the three countries and reinforce the power of factory unions. Bringing together trade unions and local civil society organisations in workshops will broaden the scope of locally available capacities for workers under the risk of forced labour.

Minerals as part of the electronics supply chain

ElectroPower covers electronics manufacturing in Malaysia and Thailand, as well as nickel smelting in Indonesia- With this expansion of the scope of monitoring activities to finally one of the central bottle-necks in raw material supply chains will be taken into focus.

Remediation

Via monitoring of electronics manufacturing factories in Thailand and Malaysia and nickel smelters in Indonesia, Electronics Watch will facilitate remediation based on its impact model.

Participants:

 

Contact at Electronics Watch: Peter Pawlicki