Adopt ILO Vendor
Standards
2004 – Dillard Department Stores, Inc.
Whereas, Dillards, Inc. currently
has extensive overseas operations, and
Whereas, reports of human rights
abuses in the overseas subsidiaries and
suppliers of U.S.-based corporations has led to
an increased public awareness of the problems of child labor, “sweatshop”
conditions, and the denial of labor rights in U.S. corporate overseas
operations, and
Whereas, corporate violations of
human rights in these overseas operations can lead to
negative publicity, public protests, and a loss
of consumer confidence which can have a negative impact on shareholder value,
and
Whereas, a number of corporations have
implemented independent monitoring
programs with respected human rights and
religious organizations to strengthen compliance with international human rights
norms in subsidiary and supplier factories, and
Whereas, many of these programs
incorporate the conventions of the International Labor
Organization (ILO) on workplace human rights, and
the United Nations’ Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations
with Regard to Human Rights (“UN Norms”), which include the following
principles:
1.
All workers have the right to form and join trade unions and to
Bargain collectively. (ILO Conventions 87 and 98; UN Norms, section D9).
2. Workers representatives shall not be the subject of
discrimination and shall have access to all workplaces necessary to enable them
to carry out their representation functions.
(ILO Convention 135; UN Norms, section D9)
3. There shall be no discrimination or intimidation in
employment. Equality of opportunity and
treatment shall be provided regardless of race, color, sex, religion, political
opinion, age, nationality, social origin or other distinguishing
characteristics. (ILO Conventions 100
and 111;UN Norms, section B2).
4. Employment shall be freely chosen. There shall be no use of force, including bonded or prison
labor. (ILO Conventions 29 and 105; UN
Norms, section D5).
5. There shall be no use of child labor. (ILO Convention 138; UN Norms, section D6),
and,
Whereas, independent monitoring
of corporate adherence to these internationally
recognized principles is essential if consumer
and investor confidence in our company’s commitment to human rights is to be
maintained,
Therefore, be it resolved that the
shareholders request that the company commit
itself to the implementation of a code of conduct
based on the aforementioned ILO human rights standards and United Nations’ Norms on the
Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations with Regard to Human Rights , by
its international suppliers and in its own international production facilities,
and commit to a program of outside, independent monitoring of compliance with
these standards.
Sponsors:
Lead: New York City Employees Retirement System (NYC Pension
Funds), Mr. Patrick Doherty; Aaron
Merle Epstein; Christian Brothers Investment Services