The participants in the seminar “Together for just supply chains - the global responsibility of European social partners”, held on 2-4 February 2024 in KönzgenHaus, Haltern, Germany, sent a clear signal for the EU Supply Chain Act (Lieferkettengesetz). The Supply Chain Act is a major building block for justice, sustainability and fair working conditions in the countries of the Global South, and this was the statement from the seminar, which was attended by approx. 30 representatives from workers’ organisations from Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and also from Nicaragua (as guests). The organiser was the KompetenzZentrum Internationale Bildung (Competence Centre for International Education) of the KAB Germany (Katholische Arbeitnehmer-Bewegung Deutschlands e.V. (Catholic Workers' Movement of Germany e.V.)), with its head office in the KönzgenHaus. The seminar was organised in collaboration with EZA and funded by the European Union.
We fail to understand Germany's abstention in the final vote in the EU, which effectively indicated a “no” to the law. A letter sent by seminar participants to the German Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the German Justice Minister, Marco Buschmann, prior to the cabinet meeting on 7 February stated that the “blockade of the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive,” initiated by the FDP in the federal government, is preventing “a global flagship project to protect our natural environment and, above all, to ensure compliance with human rights.”
Representatives from International Young Christian Workers (YCW) Nicaragua, who were attending the seminar, reported on working and production conditions in the Central American country from the perspective of the Global South. The YCW is involved in educational work for workers there. We should maintain contact with Nicaragua, and an online conference is planned for the near future.
The participants are standing by their commitment, despite the potential failure of the law to be adopted. They also see clear advantages for companies if an EU Supply Chain Act is passed. The appeal to Minister Buschmann and Chancellor Scholz states: “Various studies have shown that protecting people along supply chains will increase the prosperity of companies in the long term.”
Although the seminar was within the scope of the current debates around the Supply Chain Act, attendees also discussed the long-term perspective. A panel on practical perspectives discussed how cooperation between workers’ movements from Europe and countries in the Global South, e.g. from Nicaragua, could contribute to implementing an effective improvement in working conditions. For example, violations of working conditions could be identified through regular communication (in person and online). Stakeholders in the Global South could be helped to file a potential civil lawsuit if the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive manages to achieve the majority votes required. Even without the European Directive, the findings can be evaluated to draw the attention of the responsible supervisory authorities to grievances with respect to the national laws of the EU member states. Long-term networking and trust-building between workers’ organisations is vital to ensure this exchange, and it is also an issue of capacity-building on the part of European workers' movements to perform this role.