Issue 36 – March 2024
This month’s clickable highlights:
Fast Forward News
- Fast Forward programme transition to Stronger Together’s LinkedIn
- Modern Slavery and the UK Apparel and General Merchandise Sectors – What you need to know! Webinar 24 April 10am – BOOK NOW!
- Holiday Pay in 2024 – Recording now available
- SEP Supplier Training – BOOK NOW!
Industry and Legislative News
- Moody’s data sheds light on the rise in modern slavery and money laundering across Europe
- Transform Trade publishes a homeworkers ranking table
- Council and Parliament strike a deal to ban products made with forced labour
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The Fast Forward Team
FAST FORWARD NEWS
Fast Forward programme transitions
to Stronger Together’s LinkedIn
The Fast Forward programme is transitioning to Stronger Together’s LinkedIn. The Fast Forward LinkedIn account will close on 31 March. Be sure to follow us at Stronger Together for exciting updates and continued connection!
Modern Slavery and the UK Apparel and
General Merchandise Sectors – What you need to know! Webinar 24 April 10am
The apparel and general merchandise sectors are amongst the high-risk sectors for labour exploitation in the UK. Join our webinar to hear insights from industry experts on the risks in the sectors, the actions taken, and the support available to help develop capacity and give you the tools to mitigate the risks in your operations and supply chains.
This session is relevant to UK apparel, general merchandise and manufacturing businesses, labour providers into these businesses, HR, Operations and Human Rights leads and more – this is a free webinar, welcome to all! Speakers include:
- Mashuda Begum, Senior Responsible Sourcing Manager at Tesco
- Tarek Islam, Senior Community Engagement & Outreach Worker Fashion-workers Advice Bureau Leicester at Fab-L
Please note: If you are part of the Fast Forward programme, this webinar will count as our second Supplier Engagement Programme (SEP) webinar for 2024. Ensure you enter your SEP Subscription number at registration to ensure we log your attendance and engagement within the programme.
Holiday Pay in 2024
Recording now available!
In January’s Newsletter, we highlighted the new Regulations that came into effect from the beginning of the year, requiring significant change to how some annual leave is calculated.
Watch this webinar recording where we cover:
- How and when holiday accrual and pay will change
- How to calculate accrual and pay
- Which workers the new rules apply to
- The rules around rolled up holiday pay
If you are a UK Apparel and General Merchandise Supplier interested in keeping ahead of the latest legislation, join our annual subscription for £285 + VAT.
Supplier (SEP) Training Sessions
The Supplier Engagement Programme (SEP) training sessions are now available to book through your Dashboard. This presents a valuable opportunity for both brands and suppliers to upskill and maximise the benefits of our programme.
During these 2.5-hour training sessions, your business can gain essential insights on how to effectively navigate your dedicated dashboard and self-paced Core Standards training modules, ensuring you remain well-informed about the latest standards and industry practices.
Our training sessions are open to both SEP subscribers and Brand members.
At each session, we offer dedicated breakout sessions for suppliers and brands separately. This provides a unique space for peer-to-peer discussions on best practice and challenges.
If you are an SEP subscriber or Member Brand review the full agenda.
LEGISLATIVE AND INDUSTRY NEWS
Moody’s data sheds light on the rise in modern slavery
and money laundering across Europe
Moody’s March article reveals a surge in modern slavery incidents and money laundering activities across Europe from 2018 to 2023. The report indicates a nearly 17% increase in modern slavery cases, with Italy leading the tally followed by France, Spain, and the UK. In parallel, there’s been a 25% uptick in money laundering activities, with the UK and Italy being among the forefront.
Read more
Transform Trade publishes a homeworkers ranking table
Homeworkers in fashion supply chains play a crucial role. Brands should have transparent policies and collaborate with suppliers to improve conditions for these workers. Transform Trade has released a ranking table that evaluates the approach of the largest fashion brands in the UK and Ireland towards homeworkers.
Council and Parliament strike a deal to
ban products made with forced labour
The Council and the European Parliament have tentatively agreed on a regulation banning products made with forced labour in the EU market. This provisional deal emphasises prohibiting the placement, availability, and export of any goods manufactured using forced labour, while also outlining clearer roles for the Commission and national authorities in investigating and making decisions. Read more
Just Good Work
Just Good Work is a free, interactive mobile app giving jobseekers and workers from the UK or abroad critical information and advice on recruitment and employment. The Fast Forward audit requires businesses to display the Just Good Work poster.
Posters are available to download for free in nine languages from the Fast Forward website: Albanian, Bulgarian, English, Croatian, Gujarati, Polish, Romanian, Serbian and Ukrainian.
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