Inditex and IndustriALL have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at boosting the quality of suppliers’ textiles in the world. IndustriALL is the global federation of trade unions that represents over 50 million workers in 140 countries. It undertakes various initiatives to combat precarious work and defend workers’ rights.

Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers with eight brands and more than 7,000 stores throughout the world. It came into the textile industry in 1963. The brands are Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterqüe. Every part of its fashion business is vertically integrated.

Inditex has identified the processes of its suppliers and monitors them through more than 10,000 social and environmental annual audits. Recently IndustriALL affiliates in India discussed strategies and shared experiences of organizing precarious workers in the textile, garment and leather sector in a union building workshop on May 4 and 5, 2016, in Bangalore.

This agreement can monitor and supervise providers worldwide. Thus wages and working conditions will be improved. Thus the rights of factory workers can be protected and suppliers can negotiate wages and working conditions. So strengthening workers and trade unions can lead to real change in the global textile industry.