The Dindigul Agreement and its Extraordinary Impact after One Year

The Dindigul Agreement is a set of interlocking enforceable supply chain agreements including the following signatories:

Fashion Brand Buyers

— H&M Group (H&M) (owns H&M, COS, Arket, Monki, & Other Stories)

— Gap Inc.

— PVH Corp. (including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger)

US and Asia regional allies

— Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) and

— Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF)

Union

— Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU)

Supplier

— Eastman Exports Global Clothing Pvt. Ltd. (Eastman Exports)

The Dindigul Agreement has successfully transformed workplace culture by creating roles for brands, the supplier, and the union including the innovative “Safe Circle Approach” developed by AFWA; the development of the worker-led shop floor monitoring (SFM) system which uses a problem-solving model based on how work is structured; a shared stakeholder commitment to protections against caste- and migration status-based discrimination and retaliation; an independent grievance mechanism with business consequences; transparency and industry learning; and the inclusion of freedom of association (FOA) and the right to form and join unions.

Reports from workers and data included in this report show that the Dindigul Agreement changed conditions where due diligence alone and other efforts led solely by fashion brands and suppliers fell short. The Dindigul Agreement’s impact includes better jobs that promote equity and democratic workplace culture; prevention of rights violations; joint problem solving; meaningful remediation as defined by women workers; and appropriate roles for unions, suppliers, and fashion brands.