As part of our work with Humanity United, we have designed a new peer learning network to support organisations around the world that use data to strengthen workers’ rights.
The supply chain and labour rights space is thriving with activity, with organisations across many different sectors and geographies working on a range of data-enabled initiatives, such as supporting workers’ feedback to be heard and acted upon by those who can affect positive change, to improving the visibility of workers’ roles in supply chains from one end to the other.
Those driving forward such initiatives often experience similar data challenges, including the accessibility of data about workers and their working conditions, the implications of legislation on how data about workers is collected and handled, data skills and literacy among workers and those that support them, and more.
This peer-learning network aims to create a forum for some of these organisations to compare insights about workers’ rights across different sectors and geographies, share knowledge of best practices and pitfalls to avoid, and support each other to continue to improve conditions for workers and address data challenges.
We’re very excited to learn from the participants in the peer learning network. The ODI's commitment to an open and integrated approach to data plays a pivotal role in the cultivation of transparent and dependable data ecosystems, which enable multi-stakeholder monitoring in supply chains, and greater opportunity and accountability for corporations. Through this work, we hope data can be better leveraged to ensure responsible supply chain practices and improve the lives of workers.
Humanity United
Meet our cohort
We are excited to introduce the seven participants who will be participating, in their own words.
Bluenumber
Since 2015, Bluenumber has been on a mission to change how people use digital identity and benefit from data they create. We believe that workers have a right to own and benefit from data they generate. We enable workers to have a ‘bluenumber’ (B#), a free unique self-sovereign identity (SSI), an SSI wallet, and a Personal Data Vault (PDV) to own and keep data they create as digital assets. We ensure B# holders behave ethically and respect data property rights. Data creators choose what data to share, when and with whom.
Data that proves the absence of human suffering in a supply chain is of immense value. Only workers themselves can credibly provide this data, and with technology and connectivity today they can provide it affordably and continuously, to improve our understanding of supply chains and make them safer.
We are participating in this network to advance ideas of how workers can create and own data. We want to trigger, test and tweak models for workers to boost income and status by licensing data they create to companies and stakeholders, who need bottom-up input to evidence that their supply chains are safe.
Wikirate
Wikirate is an open data platform powered by a global community that collects, analyses and shares data on company commitments, actions and impacts on people and planet. Through our platform we have worked on a number of projects to improve the accessibility of data that can be leveraged by workers rights groups to improve working conditions in different sectors.
We have learnt how powerful it is to not only bring the lived experiences of workers into the data picture, but to also make sure they can access and use the information that is available.
It is time for their voices to be heard and we are keen to learn and collaborate with labour rights organisations to make that possible. That’s why we are thrilled to be participating in this peer learning network: to learn from the approaches of other participants and foster an inclusive and collaborative approach to labour rights data.
Issara Institute
Issara Institute is an independent NGO, founded in 2014, that tackles human trafficking and forced labour through worker voice, partnership, and innovation. Our 35-person team's goal is to eliminate labour exploitation within global supply chains, by taking a behaviour change and systems change approach to working with actors directly involved in supply chains namely those who are being exploited, those who are doing the exploiting and those mandated to stop the exploiting.
One of our primary goals is to build out, through tech and partnerships, a global Inclusive Labor Monitoring Network that has active participants and contributors, such as brands and retailers, suppliers, recruiters, civil society, and empowered workers - together contributing to ongoing monitoring, improvement, and public disclosure of recruitment and working conditions (see www.workervoices.org), in the spirit of human rights due diligence.
We are thrilled to join ODI’s peer learning network to exchange new tools and approaches for greater efficiency, transparency, reach, and impact; to connect and build new systems together; and, to strengthen collective efforts to make workers’ lives better at a global scale.
International Transport Workers’ Federation
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is at the forefront of building power for transport workers globally. Our affiliate-led global union federation is recognised as the world’s leading transport authority and acts as the collective voice for twenty million transport workers across the world.
The ITF is in the initial stages of a substantial data-driven project focused on enhancing labour, workers and rights within the transport industry. We aim to illuminate the often unseen workforce, critical to supply chain operations. By harnessing data, we intend to uncover fresh perspectives and cultivate partnerships that will play a pivotal role in advocating for the rights and welfare of transport workers.
We are looking forward to networking with peers who work with data related to workers’ rights. Being a participant in the peer learning network will build our capacity to use data effectively to promote labour rights in the transport industry.
Open Supply Hub
Open Supply Hub is a supply chain data platform that shows production locations across the world and who is connected to them. Used and populated by stakeholders across sectors and supply chains, it provides open access to clean and standardised global supply chain data to make it easy for anyone to work with. When all these actors are easily identifiable, countless opportunities for collaboration can be unlocked, including collaboration to improve human rights and environmental conditions in supply chains.
In November 2022, OS Hub expanded from solely focusing on the apparel sector, to accepting data from all retail supply chains. This was an exciting chapter in our organisational history, indicating the moment when our mission could grow exponentially - to open up data with the goal of positively impacting the estimated 450+ million individuals working in supply chains globally.
We believe that the peer-learning network will help us improve our processes and systems around data quality, find new ways to support our users to work with the data for good - especially to pursue workers’ rights - and strengthen our abilities to manage a global Community Management team really well and learn from peers on a similar journey to us.
CNV Internationaal
CNV Internationaal is committed to working towards decent work for all. We work closely with our local trade union partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America to support and strengthen labour rights of workers in the formal and informal sector.
CNV Internationaal’s key ambitions around labour rights cover: living wage, a safe workplace for women and men, gender equality, freedom of association, strengthening inclusive social dialogue and a stronger position for young workers. We developed the Fair Work Monitor to strengthen the voice of workers through digital data collection to improve the conditions of the workers. We aim for local impact and the voice of workers is always our starting point.
CNV International is excited to participate in the peer-learning network so we can exchange ideas and share knowledge with other active players working to improve worker’s rights. Additionally, we believe the network can support us in the potential to further develop our Fair Work Monitor to maximise impact for those on the ground.
Trade Union Rights Centre
Trade Union Rights Centre (TURC) is a think tank that focuses on empowering workers. We provide training and education on labour rights issues to workers, conduct research to document labour rights violations, and support trade unions to bargain for improved working conditions for workers, as well as labour policies that prioritise aspects of protection for workers in various sectors, such as garment and the palm oil industry.
We need global advocacy efforts to push for transparency and accountability throughout supply chains, ensuring that workers and rights are upheld at all stages of production. We believe that support is needed to reduce the vulnerability of workers by increasing worker and trade union capacity to carry out data-based advocacy, amplify workers’ needs and demand better working conditions.
We believe that the peer-learning network will allow us to strengthen our capacity and to fulfil our unique role as a think tank more effectively, to help us bring together trade unions and amplify their voices with policy makers and company management.
The connections formed in this network will open opportunities for collaboration to share solutions and best practices, as well as create innovation to develop new prototypes on data availability to achieve common goals.
What’s next?
The peer-learning network will officially kick off at the start of October and will run until the end of May 2024, culminating in a sector-wide public event. Details and announcements about the event and how to join it will be published in early 2024 - watch this space.
We will share learnings and insights from the peer-learning network throughout the year with the wider supply chain and labour rights community to ensure that others can benefit too.
If you are interested in engaging with the peer-learning network, receiving direct links to our research or resources, or would like to join our final event, please get in touch.
