Procurement spend by public bodies is around 2 trillion euros per year globally and represents 15 – 20% of total GDP in Europe. This means it can play a decisive role in either maintaining the status quo or acting as an agent of change in globalised supply chains. The University of Edinburgh is a founding affiliate of Electronics Watch, a group that leverages public procurement across Europe to combat worker exploitation in different forms in the global electronics industry, a systemic problem. Since 2015, Electronics Watch has implemented in an innovative model to foment change—generating contract terms for affiliates to include in ICT procurements, acting on public bodies’ behalf to collect information from suppliers about the location of supply chain factories, and linking this to a unique network of researchers and worker-led monitoring and reporting across the world. When evidence of misconduct is found, from debt bondage or unsafe use of chemicals, this is matched to affiliate public procurement data, and affiliates work with Electronics Watch and their partner organisations to negotiate corrective action and remediation to directly benefit affected workers. Reducing worker exploitation Electronics Watch has been going from strength to strength, and the University of Edinburgh Procurement, Information Services and Social Responsibility and Sustainability Department are working with them to push this agenda forward, including by working with EW on a European Commission Make ICT Fair project. In addition to affiliating with major purchasers like the Catalonian Government and the Greater London Authority, Electronics Watch also has been working with the UK Government, which has highlighted EW’s contribution in the government’s most recent annual Modern Slavery report. EW has also worked over several years to negotiate one of the largest payment to exploited workers in history, of $10million owed to migrant electronics Myanmar workers in Thailand who had to pay exorbitant fees leading to debt bondage. This example of a practical, direct benefit to affected workers and the connections EW facilitates to cut through the lack of connection we have between the people around the world who manufacture the goods that keep our organisations running, are key reasons why the University is proud to affiliate with Electronics Watch. More information For more information, see www.electronicswatch.org This article was published on 2024-07-01
