The Ethical Trading Initiative was founded in 1998 in response to growing concerns about the poor pay and conditions of workers in many international supply chains. Since then we have helped change the lives of millions of workers by driving improvements in company policies and practices and through campaigning for change.

1998

In January 1998, a small number of British retailers, aid agencies, workers’ rights organisations and trade unions come together to promote fundamental human rights in global supply chains. Subsequently, under the pivotal leadership of Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short, ETI is incorporated as a not-for-profit company on 9th June. We receive start-up grants from the Department for International Development and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Everyone agrees that something should and could be done about the working conditions of people … who produce goods for our High Street. The Ethical Trading Initiative is an important first step and will provide a common approach to enable change. Dino Adriano, Chief Executive, J Sainsburys PLC

1999

In line with our initial ethos, Learning by Doing, we set up three pilot programmes in members’ supply chains – in China, South Africa, and Zambia and Zimbabwe.

2000

In the UK, ETI members acknowledge the scale of the task ahead as they start to map and monitor labour standards in their supply chains. Meanwhile, our sister organisation, the Norwegian Ethical Trading Initiative (IEH) is established, representing Norwegian NGOs, trade unions, businesses and the Enterprise Federation of Norway.

2001

Retail members become increasingly concerned about the treatment of homeworkers in their supply chains. They realise that homeworkers carry out essential tasks such as embroidery, stitching, assembly and packaging, but that retail oversight is either limited or non-existent. A group come together and ask for advice and greater guidance on how to interpret, monitor and implement the Base Code for homeworkers.

2002

NGO members investigate wages paid to homeworkers making Christmas crackers in South Wales and discover shockingly low rates of pay – in some cases as little as £1.50 an hour. They find that a government regulation known as the ‘four fifths rule', and originally intended to protect slower-piece rate workers, has the effect of allowing employers to pay only 80 per cent of the national minimum wage. We ask retail members of our Homeworkers Working Group to support an advocacy campaign led by the National Group on Homeworking to amend the law.

2003

In March 2003, we set up a tripartite China Working Group to support our members sourcing from China. We also establish a China office in Hong Kong.

2004

On the evening of 5 February 2004 at Morecambe Bay, 23 Chinese immigrant labourers trafficked illegally into the UK via Chinese triads drown as they pick cockles. The workers are unfamiliar with local geography and sea conditions and are cut off by the incoming tide. The tragedy leads to a two-year ETI-led lobbying campaign for the establishment of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

2005

At the request of members, we join forces with the South Africa-based Wine and Agricultural Industry Ethical Trade Association (WIETA). We develop locally run supervisor training in fruit packhouses and farms. Run over several years, the training will eventually reach more than 5,000 supervisors, digging deep into the highly sensitive issues of sexual harassment and discrimination while building management skills and confidence.

In the South African context, it's important not to force people to do things. It's about wooing people, building trusting relationships and winning over their confidence. Desmiline Minyi, WIETA trainer, speaking on the fifth anniversary of the training relationship with ETI

2006

In March 2006, over 300 children, some as young as 12 are found working in two glassware factories in Shanxi province in China. They supply four ETI member companies amongst others, and we are asked to become involved in remediation efforts.

2007

In 2007, we join those voices pointing out that the UK public sector is sourcing £125 billion worth of goods and services annually, much of this from overseas. Having lobbied the government to include consideration of workers' rights in public procurement, we are asked to partner with the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency to help them develop a policy framework for ethical procurement and the tools to implement it.

2008

The ETI-supported National Homeworker Group in Uttar Pradesh, India reaches 15,000 homeworkers. Initiatives include linking workers to state provisions such as healthcare, accident insurance and credit schemes through ID cards (so called artisan cards). An increased sense of confidence and status is reported.

I have now started keeping a record book and make sure every transaction is recorded in it. It is evidence for the work we have done and the payments received. Ayesha, a homeworker attached to the Bareilly Homeworker Group in Uttar Pradesh, India

2009

As part of our efforts to build a culture of respect at work, we start to directly target suppliers with introductory ethical trade skills training designed specifically for them. The pilot offer around becoming better managers is taken up by two large apparel and textiles suppliers in China and managers of banana plantations in the Dominican Republic and the Windward Islands.

The training helped elected worker representatives develop a new sense of camaraderie and confidence. It was encouraging to see them starting to ask insightful questions about retailers' business practices and what ETI is trying to achieve. Dimitri Kessler, ETI China Representative

2010

We join the Play Fair 2012 alliance lobbying the London Olympic Games Organising Committee (LOCOG) to adopt a strong ethical approach to the 2012 London Olympic Games. As part of the alliance, we play a key role in helping the Committee understand the importance of a continuous improvement approach to labour standards.

2011

We ask company members to work collectively in a limited number of strategic supply chains to drive sustained change for workers within three product categories - the Apparel and Textiles, Food and Farming and Hard Goods and Household sectors.

2012

We formally launch two long-term supply chain programmes in India, in Tamil Nadu's spinning mills and Rajasthan's sandstone yards. We bring together members, local suppliers, workers and their representatives to agree the direction of travel to drive positive sustainable change for workers.

The Rajasthan Stone Working Group has led the way in moving forward ETI’s new programme approach. Progress in this sector is a huge challenge, since so many of the workers at the bottom of the supply chains are invisible. But I am optimistic that however difficult the task, the group will address the rights of workers in every tier of the industry. Meena Varma, Director, Dalit Solidarity Network UK

2013

In January, following a factory fire in Tazreen, Bangladesh where over 100 workers died, chief executives from 24 member companies take action. They write to the Bangladesh government under our auspices requesting urgent action on factory safety. The letter is in support of the ILO’s efforts to develop a national action plan on fire safety in the garment sector. Then, in April, Rana Plaza happens…

ETI ensured that a number of UK and European brands and retailers were among the first sourcing from Bangladesh to commit to this new broad coalition with IndustriALL, UNI Global and leading NGOs. Jyrki Raina, General Secretary, IndustriALL Global Union

2014

In January, Cambodia’s garment and footwear sector sees violent clashes between police and workers demonstrating over pay, hours and benefits. We facilitate the efforts of 30 international brands and global trade unions as they seek to engage with the Cambodian government over its duty to protect workers’ rights.

2015

The UK’s Modern Slavery Act (2015) is passed into law in March 2015. In the run up to the Act, we galvanise our members to actively engage with the government to help shape the legislation, in particular a Transparency in Supply Chains (TISC) clause that introduces a company reporting requirement.

The addition of the TISC clause is a tribute to the efforts of the Ethical Trading Initiative and many other NGOs and trade unions; and without business adding its voice, it might not be there at all. Aidan McQuade, Director Anti-Slavery International

2016

The mass movement of Syrian refugees into Turkey – and their participation in the labour market – makes endemic problems in the country’s garment and footwear industry worse. Initially, we lobby the Turkish authorities to allow refugees access to work permits. With company funding, we also publish guidance for refugees on their employment rights and sponsor a government backed communications campaign.

2017

In October, we release our new online company reporting framework. Based on the UNGPs and our due diligence framework, it is designed to help corporate members embrace and incorporate into their policies and practices a greater commitment to transparency and accountability, and to raise their ethical trading standards.

2018

ETI marked its 20th anniversary year with a number of special activities, including a major conference on responsible supply chains attended by over 60 speakers from across the tripartite membership, and over 300 delegates.

2019

We reached over 15 million workers across 125 countries through our corporate members’ supply chains. We also established an office in India, scaled up our Social Dialogue initiative in Bangladesh, and secured Home Office funding to improve the rights of migrant workers in Malaysia.

2020

We secured funding for STITCH – the Sustainable Textile Initiative: Together For Change – coalition, bringing together 6 partner organisations to deliver sustainable supply chains across 9 sourcing countries. We delivered extensive Covid-19 support to members in the form of resources, guidance, and collaboration and learning opportunities. And we produced our first annual impact report.

2021

With Covid-19 continuing to disrupt supply chains around the world, we developed guidance to support our members, along with a series of enhanced expectations to help protect workers made vulnerable as a result of the pandemic. We completed two Covid-19 response and recovery projects – one in the garments sector in Bangladesh and one in the agriculture sector in East and Southern Africa.

2022

Supply chains continued to face major changes and disruptions in 2022, whether caused by crises such as the Myanmar coup or invasion of Ukraine, emerging technology, or climatic events. We worked to equip our members with the tools to conduct enhanced human rights due diligence in any conflict-affected or high-risk area.

2023

2023 marked the end of the first cycle of company reporting against ETI’s Corporate Transparency Framework. This framework sets out public reporting requirements for our company members. They commit to meeting these requirements and to move towards increased transparency and preparedness for incoming mandatory reporting legislation.

While ethical trade has come a long way since ETI started more than 25 years ago, millions of people still endure inadequate, sometimes shocking conditions at work. This means that we are needed as much now as in 1998. Keep up to date on ethical trade and our work by subscribing to our updates:

For insight, resources and training, head to our main website: www.ethicaltrade.org