Protecting the integrity of Canadian supply chains by prohibiting goods manufactured by forced labour is essential in protecting good Canadian jobs and safeguarding industries from unfair competition.

The establishment and respect of fundamental labour standards and labour rights must underpin global supply chains, to protect workers and avoid a collective ‘race-to-the-bottom’.

Corporations must maintain transparency and accountability for labour and human rights abuses across their entire global supply chains – from sourcing raw materials, processing, manufacturing, transportation, logistics and retail.

The eradication of modern slavery is moral and economic imperative and a global responsibility that requires coordinated strategies and joint actions between national governments, international bodies, labour unions and employers.

As Unifor National President, I recommend that Unifor:

• Advocate for comprehensive and enforceable Canadian federal due diligence legislation that aims to strictly prohibit the importation of goods manufactured with forced labour, child labour or sourced from jurisdictions with documented record and evidence of widespread, systematic human and labour rights abuses and/or crimes against humanity;
• Advocate for improvements to further strengthen federal Bill C-35, An Act respecting the prohibition of the importation of goods produced by forced labour, holding importers accountable and to demonstrate that goods imported into Canada are not made with forced labour.
• Advocate for the reinstatement of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), as an independent body to meaningfully review and investigate complaints about possible labour and human rights abuses by Canadian companies operating globally;
• Advocate for robust procurement policies and audits for all federal, provincial and municipal governments that bar vendors, suppliers and contractors from receiving public contracts if they fail to demonstrate compliance to domestic and internationally recognized labour rights and standards across their supply chains;
• Promote the inclusion of robust and binding labour chapters in all bilateral and multilateral trade agreements negotiated by Canada that aims to improve labour rights and working conditions and includes meaningful enforcement mechanisms and rapid dispute resolution processes, enforced by trade sanctions;
• Work with international allied organizations, civil society groups, national trade unions and Global Union Federation partners to promote the ratification, implementation and enforcement of international conventions banning the use of forced and child labour.