Mondelēz joins IDH Living Wage Roadmap targeting fair payment of workers across global supply chains
pic by Mike Mitchell
A core step has been taken by Mondelēz International in joining the IDH (The Sustainable Trade Initiative) Living Wage Roadmap aiming to drive fair payment of workers in global supply chains, as it confirms a continued commitment for payment of a living wage for its employees, writes Neill Barston.
The company noted that the initiative builds upon its existing focus on promoting human rights with the introduction of a dedicated policies in line with the United Nations Human Rights Guiding Principles alongside its updated supplier code of conduct for its operations.
These advancements strengthen the company’s commitments surrounding the topic and on due diligence, serving to guide and reinforce existing approaches to respecting the rights of those across its value chain, which includes key farming communities within the cocoa sector in West African nations of Ghana, Ivory Coast and across the globe.
“We recognise rising inequalities and poverty as underlying drivers of other human rights risks,” said Dirk Van de Put, Chairman and CEO Mondelēz International. “Today we are proud to join forces with leading industry peers and governments through our endorsement of IDH’s call to action to advance living wages in global supply chains, as a further demonstration of our continuation of paying our own employees around the globe a living wage.”
“Now is the time to take a next step towards creating a living wage economy,” said Daan Wensing, CEO of IDH. “We applaud Mondelēz International for joining the movement and taking action on living wage. Only together, business, governments and civil society, can we pursue a world where workers are valued, treated equally, and where living wages are an integral part of a sustainable, resilient economy.”
Mondelēz International uses the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) as a framework for preventing and mitigating human rights risks. The dedicated Human Rights Policy applies to all employees globally, including temporary and contract employees, as well as the company’s consultants, agents and any other third party who acts on behalf of the company.
The Policy is aligned with the company’s code of conduct, and the corresponding updated Supplier Code of Conduct that sets out human rights requirements applicable to suppliers and business partners, regardless of whether they work at Mondelēz International-owned or independent facilities. Together, these policies guide the way the company conducts business across its entire value chain.
“Training our 80,000 plus employees on our newly published Human Rights Policy is a significant step forward in helping all our employees understand the role they play in respecting internationally recognised human rights,” said Paulette Alviti, Chief People Officer and EVP Human Resources Mondelēz International. “Living our purpose, mission and values starts with putting people first. The implementation of policies like this is part of our ongoing efforts to build our employees’ awareness of our commitment to human rights whilst strengthening our internal capabilities to continue to improve due diligence practices.”
The company added that its latest move is part of an ongoing evaluation and review of best practices in strengthening its approach to respecting human rights. To identify human rights risk, it concluded that it is committed to undertaking practical, proactive due diligence in its owned operations and seeks to work with suppliers who share the same level of commitment. Furthermore, the business said it takes action to mitigate identified risks, prioritises areas of focus through signature sustainable sourcing programs, and advocates for systemic solutions through public-private collaboration.
