Motion 4. Overseas suppliers

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Conference
2013 Water, Environment & Transport Service Group
Date
15 February 2013
Decision
Carried as Amended

The larger water companies import much of their sewage and water pipes from Asia especially large diameter pipes used in capital schemes, in the case of Yorkshire Water from Kolkata in India via a UK subsidiary. This contract has been running for ten years. Our company has someone who monitors the contract and makes visits to the supplier. There is no reason to think other companies in our sector do differently.

As trade unionists we have a duty to try and help other workers in all parts of the world access good terms and working conditions. We should ask for our companies to provide information on these suppliers and highlight any concerns we have. We could ask the person who visits the supplier to provide a report and photographs. If not happy we should challenge in the same way as we do when we have issues with UK contractors working for our companies who aren’t treating their staff as well as we would expect or do not comply with our companies values.

This would raise awareness of International Issues in our branches and at the same time be of relevance to members in our sector.

We would ask that the WET Executive make branches aware their companies may be insourcing products and kit from other parts of the world, not just back office call centre tasks and encourage Branch International Officers to investigate with a view to forging links with trade union members in these companies.