Employer’s Federation of Pakistan (EFP) conducted training on ‘Due Diligence Members’ Tool Kit’ for responsible cotton sourcing in four textile units of Faisalabad namely Fashion and Style, Azad International Clothing (Pvt.) Ltd, Al-Jannat Interlining and Processing Mills and M. R. Dyeing Private Limited. Over 100 corporates managers participated in the training which was conducted by Dr. Hussain Mustafa Gillani, Assistant Professor of National Textile University (NTU) and his team.
The due diligence tool kit has been developed by EFP under ILO’s eliminating child labor and forced labor in the cotton, textile and garments value chain project cofounded by European Union (EU). It has been prepared in line with UN guiding principles and ILO / IOE /OECD child labor guidance for business.
Fasihul Karim Siddiqi, Vice President of Employer’s Federation of Pakistan while inaugurating the training sessions termed the launching of due diligence tool kit in Punjab as a pioneering initiative of EFP / ILO in helping textile business in taking concrete steps to address issues of combating child and force labor and implementation of fundamental principles and right at work not only within the enterprises but also across the cotton supply value chain.
Zaheer Tahir, Marketing Director Fashion Style, Kaleem Akbar Director Marketing Azad International Clothing (Pvt.), Qasim Saeed, CEO Al-Jannat Interlining and Processing Mills, and Muhammad Nasir, Director M. R. Dyeing (Pvt. Ltd thanked EFP and ILO for launching tool kit at very appropriate time when the textile sector is under heavy pressure from international buyers and consumers to effectively engage supply chain under their sphere of influence with the norm of social compliance. The tool kit will help enterprises in improving internal management system, assisting and managing risk, effectiveness verification, public reporting and communication and which will help enterprises improving their brand image and compliance visibility, they commented.
Later Dr. Sajjad Ahmad Baig, Director National Textile University (NTU) Faisalabad in a meeting with Fasihul Karim Siddiqi, Vice President and Muhammad Akram, Project Consultant lamented the timely effort of EFP and ILO in developing due diligence tool kit for responsible cotton sourcing which will greatly help the textile industry to improve their global competitiveness.
He emphasized upon business and academia partnership and assured his institution’s support and cooperation in promoting this initiative. A session with the faculty and business students of textile management department was also held in which they were given an orientation of tool kit with the emphasis that they should use it in their professional carrier as a tool for social compliance.
