An investor in supermarket giant Tesco intends to increase pressure on the retailer to adopt ethical practices across the group’s supply chain.
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The investor will table a resolution at Tesco’s AGM in June to urge the company to appoint independent auditors to ensure that workers in its supplier factories and farms are guaranteed “decent working conditions, a living wage, job security” and the right to join a trade union.
The proposal, which has been put forward by Ben Birnberg, secretary of charity War on Want, has secured the support of more than 100 shareholders.
For its part, Tesco told just-food today (15 May) that it shares the values contained within the proposal.
A spokesperson said: “Fair treatment of workers in our supply chain is extremely important to us. We demand clear standards of our suppliers, including that workers are paid a living wage, do not work excessive hours, that no threats or intimidation are practiced, and that workers have the freedom of association, the right to join a union, and the right to collective bargaining.”
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By GlobalDataHowever, the Tesco representative also highlighted the logistical difficulties associated with ensuring that all suppliers meet these standards. “It is very difficult to ensure that our standards are met by every supplier, in every place, at every time,” the spokesperson said. “That said, we do endeavour to do just that and part of our control system is a series of independent third party audits to assess compliance.”
