AAFA/FLA Apparel & Footwear Industry Commitment to Responsible Recruitment

On October 22, 2018, the American Apparel & Footwear Association and the Fair Labor Association announced a proactive industry effort to address potential forced labor risks for migrant workers in the global supply chain.

Commitment:

As an industry and as individual companies, we are committed to the fair treatment of workers in the apparel, footwear, and travel goods supply chains. One important part of this ongoing effort is working together to eliminate conditions that can lead to forced labor in the countries from which we source products.

We commit to work with our global supply chain partners to create conditions so that:

• No workers pay for their job
• Workers retain control of their travel documents and have full freedom of movement; and
• All workers are informed of the basic terms of their employment before leaving home.

Conditions for Signing the Commitment to Responsible Recruitment
For the Commitment to Responsible Recruitment to be an effective industry tool to address risks of forced labor, companies must have the intent to seriously and effectively implement the Commitments. 

Therefore, companies who sign the Commitment to Responsible Recruitment agree to do the following:

1. Incorporate the Commitment to Responsible Recruitment into their company social compliance standards, such as their code of conduct, before December 31, 2019;
2. Periodically report on their actions to imbed elements of the Commitment to Responsible Recruitment in company’s policies and processes through their sustainability reporting and/or modern slavery legal disclosures.

Participants