Fair Factories Clearinghouse launched to curb exploitation
The Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC), a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting workplace compliance through the sharing of factory audit information, has been formally launched at the National Retail Federation's Annual Convention in
David Hogan, Chief Information Officer, National Retail Federation said: "There is a need for a sophisticated, efficient information management system to monitor companies' internal compliance initiatives and, if they wish, to voluntarily share compliance information with others."
FFC has been developed through a collaborative effort by retailers, consumer brands and trade associations and made possible through the donation of software developed and deployed in over 30 countries by Reebok International. It is a secure, global database for maintaining factory compliance audit information that allows retailers and consumer brands to manage information about factory conditions.
"By sharing the database we have developed, we hope to drive increased corporate activity to support decent workplace conditions in factories," said Doug Cahn, Vice President of Human Rights Programs at Reebok International Ltd.
World Monitors, Inc., a human rights and business consultancy, obtained a grant from the US State Department to support the development of the FFC. Membership is open to all retailers and brands interested in maximising their ability to utilise information about factory workplace conditions to inform sourcing decisions.
