As new regulations requiring effective grievance mechanisms for workers come into effect, the ICTI Ethical Toy Program details the benefits of the IETP Worker Helpline.

IETP’s Aoife McCarthy tells us supply chains are an essential part of the global economy, connecting businesses and consumers across the world. However, factory workers and other professionals who are critical to the success of these supply chains can face a variety of complex challenges; these can include unfair wages, poor working conditions and limited access to support and resources. At worst, supply chains can hide the most egregious human rights issues such as forced labour and child labour. As a specialist labour and environmental standards program, the ICTI Ethical Toy Program (IETP) understands these risks and how they can be mitigated, along with the importance of treating workers fairly.

IETP was created by the toy industry to oversee the implementation of its Code of Business Practices, a code that sets out the standards expected of the industry, created by the industry, for the industry. IETP has continued to develop that standard to ensure it helps companies meet their objectives, commitments to consumers and obligations to regulators.

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the need to provide worker helplines and grievance mechanisms to identify and address inequalities. IETP has implemented and required its Worker Helpline to be deployed in all factories in its program for over 13 years. In recent years, IETP’s Helpline has expanded to be utilized in new industry sectors and for bespoke projects including for the construction industry, where there is a high risk of rights violations and often poor labour standards.

To find out more about the IETP Helpline; a free, confidential, grievance mechanism and support helpline for workers,read the full article, which appeared in the June edition of Toy World, here.

Readers can contact IETP at join@ethicaltoyprogram.org to learn more about responsible supply chains and how to efficiently deploy an effective, low-cost worker helpline at scale, or visit www.ethical.toys for more information.