UNITED NATIONS, March 30 -- A study of whether European supermarket chains take seriously labor rights in the developing world was presented at the UN on March 30, and some of the companies scoring lowest turned out to be members of the UN Global Compact, through which companies claim to sign on to labor rights principles.
Inner City Press asked the presenter of the study, Catherine Nicholson of Consumers International, about the UN Global Compact. She replied that in the study, each firm was asked if it had signed on to the Compact. The study looked at this, compared to operations policies of "real benefit on the ground," and found "no correlation." Video here, from Minute 14:20. Ms. Nicholson said, "that needs to be fed back."
But who in the UN is listening? Outside a meeting of the Global Compact's board of directors on March 25, Inner City Press sought to get some answers from board members. "You can't quote anything said here," the Compact's Georg Kell said.
Inner City Press asked Kell if there would be any media availability by the Compact's directors. No, he said. Despite later complaints to Compact staff, and what seemed to be a commitment to provide some answers, including on Compact members' investments in Myanmar, nothing came.
There was no time, it was explained to Inner City Press. But the Compact had professional video and still photographers posing the Compact board members in the UN lobby, to some future promotion. No time?
Of Compact member Casino, the French supermarket firm, Ms. Nicholson said "there is not enough information" and "they are not willing to share it." She might well have been speaking of the UN Global Compact itself.
Consumers International's web page for the study, here, ends with the tease, "an in-depth investigation into one supply chain is currently under way. This will be presented in the form of a documentary film in late 2010." Inner City Press asked what type of supply chain -- "fruit or vegetable?" Video here, from Minute 25:41.
Ms. Nicholson replied, "Tropical." She added, "fruited," and committed to send more information later. Watch this site.
