New Look partners with ITF on supply chain employee protections

British retailer New Look has revealed a new partnership with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) through which it hopes to ensure the protection of transport workers’ human and labour rights among its supply chain.

The duo have established a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) through which New Look has agreed to conduct human rights due diligence within its transport supply chain in consultation with the ITF.

According to the MoU, both New Look and ITF have agreed to work together to “improve the safety, resilience and sustainability of transport supply chains, the public they serve, and the transport workers that keep them moving”.

In a release, New Look’s senior head of ESG, quality and sourcing, Sue Fairley, said: “Formalising our relationship with ITF offers New Look an informed, practical partnership to help us remain vigilant and diligent in our commitment to uphold human rights, be aware of vulnerable workers and make sure there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in any part of our operations, which includes transport and logistics.”

Among the commitments, New Look said it intends to advance freedom of association for its transport workers and provide for or cooperate in remediation through collective bargaining with the ITF and respective trade unions.

Under the terms, the retailer also agreed to respect all internationally recognised human rights as standards for its supply chain transport and logistics operations.