2014 Annual Public Report

In 2014, the FLA experienced a year of restructuring, renewed commitment, and program advancement, overseen by a former country director for the International Labour Organization (ILO), who returned to the ILO after helping return the organization to financial health and stability.   The Annual Public Report for 2014 demonstrates key ways the FLA advanced during this transitional year:

1. Return to Charter-Mandated Due Diligence – The FLA returned to the full implementation of its core due diligence program in 2014, conducting 129 factory-level assessments and 58 agricultural assessments in 21 countries.

2. Taking Action on Supply Chain Issues Around the World – In 2014, the FLA and its members took a stand  for higher wages and legitimate wage negotiations in Cambodia.  The FLA published briefs on issues like social insurance in China, fair wages in Haiti, and precarious work in Peru, and the organization provided recommendations to the government of Turkey on workers’ rights for Syrian refugees.

3. Development of the Fair Compensation Work Plan – This work, conducted in the fall of 2014, resulted in a plan adopted by the FLA Board of Directors in  February of 2015 to help all FLA members develop fair compensation programs and hold them accountable for progress.

4. Improved Stakeholder Representation – A 2014 supplier forum, ongoing adaptation of the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct for agriculture companies, and global stakeholder consultations with unions and civil society represented greater inclusion of supplier, agriculture, and CSO representation in the FLA’s work.

5. Financial and Organizational Stability – Finally, as noted on page 51, during 2014 the FLA was returned to a position of financial and organizational health, with balanced books, and an enthusiastic team.  

The FLA staff looks forward to continuing along this trajectory, improving on all areas of 2014 progress, further enhancing the organization’s accountability and transparency mechanisms, and providing worker-focused responses to the changing landscape of social compliance.