Freedom of association and collective bargaining: Response from adidas

Summary: adidas has signed up to the agreement on freedom of association negotiated between brands, unions and suppliers in Indonesia, but needs to do more across all its suppliers to create a positive climate for trade unionism and collective negotiating

adidas has signed up to the protocol on freedom of association between major sportswear brands, unions and suppliers in Indonesia, and played a key role in the negotiations. Once signed, this ground breaking protocol binds adidas suppliers to implement a series of reforms to ensure this right is respected including: workers being able to join/form a union without employers interfering; negotiating a bargaining agreement on the basis (or stronger) of the protocol; and trade union reps being given time to carry out their trade union duties.

adidas has also partnered with various industrial relations experts to deliver trainings for workers on the right to freedom of association, and, where this right is restricted by law, has worked to establish parallel means through elected worker committees.

Play Fair’s view:

Play Fair recognises that adidas has signed up to the protocol on freedom of association and played a constructive role in related negotiations in Indonesia. We welcome adidas’s willingness  to work with suppliers to encourage them to sign up to the protocol and implement it in factories.

But adidas needs to take a positive  and systematic approach to respecting the right to form/join a trade union across all its supply chains. adidas could do this by asking its suppliers to sign access agreements with trade unions, and by requiring suppliers to inform workers that they have a right to organise and bargain collectively. Play Fair notes that adidas have declined so far to issue the right to organise guarantee to workers, and have been unwilling to issue access agreements to local unions agreeing openness for unions to enter their supplier factories. This reluctance gives the indication that adidas have adopted a mediation approach only on a complaint basis, which fails to systematically support the issue of FOA. A proactive approach giving clear signal and support for this fundamental right is necessary.