New Centre To Strengthen Workers’ Rights
27. March 2026From Law to Action: New Global Centre Aims to Strengthen Workers’ Rights
A new international initiative aimed at turning human rights legislation into real protections for workers was officially launched in Berlin on 26 March. The Competence Centre for Human Rights Due Diligence brings together global trade unions, responsible employers and representatives of the German government to strengthen workers’ rights across global supply chains.
The centre is being established at a critical moment. With new regulations such as the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), millions of workers worldwide now have formal tools to defend their rights. However, labour representatives warn that without proper enforcement, these frameworks risk becoming symbolic rather than transformative.
The Competence Centre is designed to close that gap by supporting both unions and companies in implementing meaningful human rights due diligence practices. Its work will span industries including garment production, technology and critical minerals—sectors often associated with complex global value chains and heightened risk of labour rights violations.
Pilot programmes are already underway in the mining sector in Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and in the garment industry in Cambodia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. These initiatives aim to ensure that workers are directly involved in identifying risks, shaping action plans and securing remedies when violations occur.
A key objective is to move away from traditional “tick-box” social audits toward a model built on dialogue with workers and their representatives. This approach places workers at the centre of due diligence processes, ensuring their experiences and insights drive real change.
Kelly Fay Rodríguez, head of the new centre, emphasised the urgency of this shift:
“New human rights due diligence and trade laws are fundamentally changing how business is done in global supply chains. But legal frameworks alone are not enough—workers and their unions must be at the centre of how risks are assessed and addressed.”
Trade union leaders echoed this message. Atle Høie, General Secretary of IndustriALL, highlighted the limitations of current practices:
“For too long, human rights due diligence has meant paperwork, not progress. Workers need more than laws on paper—they need the tools and support to make those laws work in practice.”
The centre will also operate a virtual helpdesk for trade unions worldwide. This platform will provide guidance on due diligence laws, help identify opportunities to challenge rights violations, and connect unions with legal and advocacy support. By strengthening accountability mechanisms, the initiative aims to ensure that workers can access remedies where abuses occur.
Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union, stressed the broader impact:
“Due diligence laws have real potential to strengthen workers’ rights across global supply chains. The task now is to turn that potential into practice.”
The initiative is backed by a coalition including UNI Global Union, IndustriALL Global Union and the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), with support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and funding from the German government through GIZ.
For unions, the message is clear: the legal tools are finally emerging—but their effectiveness will depend on how they are used. The Competence Centre represents a step toward ensuring that human rights due diligence delivers tangible improvements in working conditions, not just compliance on paper.
As Yasmin Fahimi, President of the DGB, put it:
“Due diligence laws are only as strong as their enforcement. This centre will help ensure workers have a real voice—and that their rights are not just recognised, but upheld.”
LÍV is a member of UNI Global Union.
Source: UNI Global Union