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We are very pleased to see that the quintessential fast fashion brand and a global union have quietly taken a major step forward in protecting workers rights.

Yesterday, it was announced that Inditex , the owners of the clothing brand Zara, and the International Textile, Garments and Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) a global trade union body with 217 affiliated unions worldwide, have signed an International Framework Agreement, designed to reinforce worker rights.

This agreement, with a particular focus on the rights of free trade unions to bargain collectively, means that the two organisations will collaborate to ensure that Inditex’s code of conduct improves workers’ conditions within Inditex’s supply chain.

Inditex has committed to informing all of their suppliers of this agreement, and the ITGLWF will notify all of its member unions worldwide. The two organisations plan to work together on worker education programmes focusing on the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. In the event of a breach of the code Inditex and the ITGLWF will launch a joint investigation of the issue.

To our knowledge this is the first agreement of its kind in the garment industry and it represents a major step forward for Inditex and ITGLWF and the whole area of labour rights.

Our forthcoming report ‘Progress not Perfection’ has identified framework agreements as one of the key emerging tools for ensuring workers conditions and terms of employment are improved. We expect to see many more companies sign similar agreements with international unions over the next ten years. Where Inditex and ITGLWF lead we expect other companies to follow.