Successful Completion of a Transformative Collaboration
In October 2024, the second phase of the Joint Grievance Mechanism initiative by Fair Wear and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST) concluded, marking the successful end of a transformative multi-year project. This second phase, launched in May 2023, aimed to expand access to remedy for workers in the textile and garment industry and to test the feasibility of a jointly accessible grievance mechanism.
Building on the lessons from the first pilot phase, which focused on India and Vietnam, the second phase significantly scaled up efforts, incorporating Bangladesh, Turkey, and parts of Eastern Europe. Over the 18-month period, the project provided critical support to workers and brands, laying the groundwork for future harmonized solutions to address systemic challenges in the industry.
Expanding collaborative efforts during the second phase
During the second phase, the initiative worked with over 26 factories in five countries, involving brands such as Textilkontor Walter Seidensticker GmbH & Co. KG, textilhandel-cotton-n-more GmbH, Brands Fashion, Esprit and Karl Diekhoff GmbH & Co. KG. It was supported by the civil society member FEMNET e.V., which played a crucial role in advocacy and worker engagement.
The Fair Wear grievance mechanism allows workers to report labor rights violations via trusted local complaint handlers. After checking whether the complaint falls under the mandate of Fair Wear, the claim is forwarded to the brand to approach the concerned factory. The involved parties work together to solve the problem and find remedy for the affected worker(s). The mechanism is based on the principle of shared responsibility between the brand and the factory, and using the leverage brands have at factories to facilitate remediation. Throughout the process, Fair Wear protects the complainant’s identity, while involving other stakeholders such as worker representatives and unions or providing support for undertaking legal steps if necessary. The complaints are open to the public in an anonymized form on the Fair Wear website. In the 26 factories nominated by the brands, an estimated 18000 workers had access to remedy through the Fair Wear grievance mechanism, with 60% of them being women.
There was also a focus on collaboration between brands. Brands shared their experiences through peer-to-peer learning sessions. This resulted in fruitful and honest discussions focusing on different examples of best practice, challenges, priorities and learning experiences around accessing workers voices and supporting remediation, in turn creating opportunities for improvement and mutual support.
Awareness raising is crucial
A key factor in the success of a grievance mechanism is that workers know their rights. Production site visits, awareness campaigns, and the involvement of local worker organizations is critical in building trust and encouraging participation. This was a particular focus of this second phase of the project. Fair Wear organized training sessions at 25% of the factories involved. Through factory visits and awareness campaigns, workers were made aware of their rights and the existence of the Fair Wear Grievance Mechanism. In addition, FEMNET worked alongside PST and Fair Wear to further strengthen and support rights holders in the grievance process. This support improves both accessibility and effectiveness on the ground. FEMNET’s complementary project was and is still being piloted in India, where Cividep is currently carrying out additional training and community outreach to build awareness of redress systems and empower workers to raise grievances. One complaint was received during the course of the project. The feedback from local civil society was that more awareness raising was needed to increase the visibility and knowledge of remedy avenues for workers. Complementarity is key here, and this is what the phase tried to achieve, with training in factories as well as FEMNET’s programme to support workers know about their rights and access to remedy. It is of course also important for factories to understand the benefits of effective grievance mechanisms for them. Information about the project and the value of grievance mechanisms was provided at the start of the project through a series of regional and online onboarding sessions for suppliers.
Delivering Benefits to All Stakeholders
The Joint Grievance Mechanism not only benefited workers but also aligned with the strategic priorities of PST member brands. By adhering to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD guidelines, the initiative helped participating brands meet emerging human rights due diligence requirements under European and national legislation. Beyond these, participating brands were all motivated to provide access to remedy in a coordinated way that avoids duplication but promotes more collaboration. Brands also appreciated the opportunity of exchanging with others in the industry on the implementation of grievance mechanisms in their supply chains. Some noted the challenge of conveying the value of grievance mechanisms to their suppliers, while others shared some positive feedback from suppliers. Brands agreed that gathering workers’ inputs not only serve to learn about issues in supply chains, but also help improve their own processes. Factories also reaped advantages, as a well-functioning grievance system improved their reputation and strengthened workplace relations.
At the same time, Fair Wear and the PST gained worthy experience about the process of scaling up existing grievance mechanisms to a jointly usable system, and harmonizing approaches among different stakeholders to spur coherence and coordination in providing effective access to remedy. At the industry level, this experience will likely influence future efforts to create more cohesive and efficient systems for addressing labor rights violations.
Paving the Way for Long-Term Change between Fair Wear and PST
The conclusion of this second phase highlights the power of multi-stakeholder collaboration in addressing complex challenges within global supply chains. By scaling up a jointly accessible grievance mechanism, Fair Wear and PST have gained some new insights and knowledge. The cooperation was financially supported by GIZ’s Global Solidarity Initiative (IGS). One of the most notable outcomes is Fair Wear’s decision to keep its grievance mechanism open to PST members in the long term. From 01. April 2025, PST brands will be able to use Fair Wear’s grievance mechanism on a self-funded basis, a move that will allow more workers to access a trusted redress structure beyond the official end of the project. A more comprehensive communication will follow in Q1 2025.
As all participating PST-members, Fair Wear and the PST Secretariat reflect on the initiative’s achievements, the lessons learned are expected to shape future projects, helping to align various industry approaches and extend access to effective remedies for workers worldwide. The achievements of this partnership stand as a testament to the potential for transformative change when organizations work together towards a common goal.