"ETUC Position for a European directive on mandatory Human Rights due diligence and responsible business conduct", 18 Dec 2019

Key Messages

• The ETUC calls for a European directive on mandatory human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct.
• It should establish mandatory and effective due diligence mechanisms covering companies’ activities and their business relationships, including their supply and subcontracting chains.
• The directive would constitute an important step forward to ensure the respect and enforcement of human rights. Human rights should include trade unions’ and workers’ rights as main components.
• A directive should empower workers to fight against violations of human rights. It should ensure the full involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives in the whole due diligence process. 
• Effective remedies and access to justice should be available for victims, including trade unions.
• Companies should be accountable for the impacts of their operations. Liability must be introduced for cases where companies fail to respect their due diligence obligations, without prejudice to joint and several liability frameworks.

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