This week, we are highlighting the benefits of being affiliates of Electronics Watch and today, we focus on the impact of their work.  Electronics Watch brings together public sector buyers and civil society organisations in electronics production regions with experts in human rights and global supply chains. They guide public procurement demand for decent working conditions in electronics supply chains, providing capacity for public buyers to follow up on contractual demands through worker-driven monitoring, helping workers to voice complaints and contribute to solutions.

Electronics Watch affiliates play an important role in driving impact. Supply chain engagement and supplier development is central for sustainable procurement. Electronics Watch provides affiliates the expertise for engagement. By asking questions about the situation in factories of their supply chain based on Electronics Watch reports, demanding detailed answers and measurable activities from their suppliers, affiliates can have a fundamental impact. Affiliates also play an important role during individual remediation processes by reminding their suppliers that taking the right action is important.

Here are some headlines demonstrating the impact Electronics Watch has had:

• Alleviating debt bondage for 10,000 migrant workers in Thailand by leading the monitoring and industry engagement for what was then the largest known single company reimbursement for modern slavery. This was achieved with the support of UK affiliates who procure through the NDNA framework as they engaged their suppliers on this issue. Read more here.
• Remediation of indirect discrimination related to the implementation of an employee reward programme at a factory in Poland. Andy Davies, Procurement Manager at the Natural History Museum facilitated this though his supplier engagement. Affiliates can log into their account to read the report here.
• Enabling 5000 workers in Indonesia to handle safer chemicals in a factory by finding solutions to persistent occupational health and safety concerns. Affiliates can log into their account to read more here
• Collaborating with brands to end forced student interning in Chinese final assembly factories that make servers and other ICT equipment for UK universities. Affiliates can login into their account to read more here.
• Ensuring that temporary workers in Czechia now receive a guaranteed income and regular shift planning with support from UK affiliates such as the Universities of Leeds, Leicester and Edinburgh. You can read more here.
• Collaborating with stakeholders to increase the severance packages of workers in the Philippines and reinstating 22 illegally fired unionised workers in another factory, with support from UK affiliates such as the University of Swansea.  Affiliates can login to read more here.
• Increased supply chain transparency for affiliates. Through factory disclosures of 14 brands, Electronics Watch now has more than 70 factories listed that are linked to specific product models. More than 10 factories are linked to components for specific product models. This transparency helps affiliates to better understand the risks in their supply chains.
• Mike Kilner, Senior Category Manager at LUPC, has engaged with major suppliers to drive supply chain transparency beyond factory disclosures. Two brands have now replied to the Electronics Watch Gap Analysis tool which helps affiliates to better understand which issues to prioritize in supplier engagement. Addressing these issues systematically will help affiliates to work with their suppliers to improve conditions for workers.

All full LUPC members can access the Affiliates section of the Electronics Watch website. If you don’t already have login details, please email Martina Hooper at mhooper@electronicswatch.org.  If you would like to schedule your introductory webinar or a one-to-one update call, please contact Peter: ppawlicki@electronics.org.