IndustriALL Global Union trade union affiliates representing garment workers at H&M have agreed upon a global dispute resolution mechanism with the Swedish fashion giant, as a part of IndustriALL’s global framework agreement (GFA) with the company. The GFA with H&M has a National Monitoring Committees made up of representatives from unions and H&M to implement workers’ rights under the terms of the GFA. The NMCs are active in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Turkey.

The NMCs met for its second global meeting in Phnom Penh from December 10 to 12, and were also joined by participants from India and Pakistan, who will form NMCs in 2019. The participants debated a set of dispute resolution recommendations and reached an agreement on a framework. Under this framework, they agreed many procedures to solve disputes over working conditions, occupational safety and health, trade union representation, prevention of conflicts, taking labor actions and negotiating in good faith starting from shop-floor-level to factory level.