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Usdaw to protest at tomorrow's Boohoo AGM and questions the company's ethical trading credentials

Date: 20 June 2019 Retail trade union Usdaw is continuing their campaign for recognition at online clothes retailer Boohoo by asking shareholders to consider the impact of the company’s questionable ethical trading credentials. Boohoo is persistently blocking Usdaw, despite a recommendation from a parliamentary committee and the Ethicial Trading Initiative (ETI), and has instructed staff not to speak to the union and to bin Usdaw leaflets.
Boohoo has not yet been accepted into membership of the ETI, a leading alliance of companies, trade unions and NGOs that promotes respect for workers' rights around the globe. In a statement released today the Ethical Trading Initiative said: “We are in discussions with Boohoo about membership, the formal approval of which would be taken at an ETI board meeting. While we adopt a process of continuous improvement a key expectation ETI has of its members is an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions, enabling effective representation and ideally for workers to bargain collectively. Any new membership application would be reviewed by ETI’s board to ensure that the company demonstrated such commitment.”
 
Usdaw has run a sustained campaign for recognition at Boohoo and is continuing their activities with a protest outside the company’s headquarters and at their  AGM on Friday 21 June 2019:
  • 9am - Boohoo HQ on Dale Street in Manchester.
  • 12 noon - Boohoo AGM, TLT LLP, 3 Hardman Square, Manchester.
There will be an opportunity for photos and interviews, please arrange with Usdaw’s media office (contact details below).
 
Mike Aylward - Usdaw Divisional Officer says: “Today we are asking Boohoo shareholders to consider whether the company’s bold statements on ethical trading are true, when Boohoo refuses their staff a voice through an independent trade union. The fact that the Ethical Trading Initiative has not yet been able to accept Boohoo into membership is a serious concern for the company, particularly in an industry where consumers are rightly giving ever more regard to ethical shopping.
 
“Ethical trading isn’t just about checking the terms and conditions of workers in the supply chain, as important as that is, it’s also about ensuring Boohoo’s directly employed staff are treated with dignity and respect.
 
“Boohoo managers are apparently trying to block staff speaking to the Usdaw, behaviour that is a throwback to a Dickensian employer of 1819, rather than a modern ethical trader of 2019. Boohoo staff clearly know that what managers are doing is wrong, but they fear for their jobs if they speak out.
 
“We have received fantastic support from Boohoo employees, who are asking us to keep up the campaign for recognition, which directly contradicts the company’s claims that there is no interest from staff in joining a union. Usdaw’s campaign continues until Boohoo listens to reason, listens to our members, listens to the cross-party committee of MPs and listens to the Ethical Trading Initiative.

“I have written to Boohoo suggesting the company agree to meet with us in an attempt to understand each other’s opinion and to make this into a positive story of partnership and working together in that spirit.”
 
House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee - Interim Report on the Fixing fashion: clothing consumption and sustainability: A cross-party MPs’ report into fashion industry sustainability specifically recommended that Boohoo recognises Usdaw as the union for their staff. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee said: “We recommend that Boohoo engage with Usdaw as a priority and recognise unions for its workers.” https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/1952/1952.pdf
 
A Boohoo worker contacted Usdaw to explain how the company are responding to the union’s ongoing campaign for recognition: “I work for Boohoo and all staff were told that when leaving work at 6pm there would be union reps outside wanting to talk to us. We were then told that we should not speak to anyone and if given any leaflets we are to just put them in the bin. I thought you would like to know what it is they are up to, that no matter what they say to you they don't want a union and will do whatever they can to stop it from happening, even make staff feel like they will lose their jobs over it. Please keep my name out of it, I am only telling you because what they are doing is wrong.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 410,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion

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