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