Perspective

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Jenny Chan
Chief Coordinator
Students & Scholars against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM)

HP is committed to facilitating workplace improvement and working with the EICC and GeSI members to achieve higher standards in the electronics industry. For example, it participated in the FIAS pilot project to promote corporate social responsibility at four select factories in China. In another example, since January 2007, HP coordinated with SACOM to investigate allegations of labor abuses and to monitor the implementation of corrective actions at several of its suppliers in Guangdong province, southern China. HP acknowledged and supported suppliers that took positive steps.

Throughout the year, HP managers also communicated clearly its supply chain SER approach to SACOM by e-mails, phone conferences and face-to-face meetings. Importantly, HP respects Chinese workers' rights to develop mechanisms of worker representation at all HP outsourced suppliers. By the end of 2007, HP and SACOM started planning in more concrete terms, a worker rights training program at two HP suppliers. In the long run, we expect that such joint training initiatives will result in sustainable code compliance and democratic worker participation at the workplace level in China.

Suggestions for continuous improvement:

HP should promote harmonious labor relations in China by:

• Bringing credible trainers¹ into capacity-building projects
• Tailoring the training curriculum to managers as well as workers
• Responding to complaints regarding rights violations and other nonconformances at HP suppliers
• Engaging in dialogue with supplier factory managers, worker representatives, civil society organizations, electronics associations, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), and other government organizations at all levels

HP should advocate responsible global sourcing practices by:

• Increasing order prices to reflect labor costs
• Evaluating production scheduling and delivery policies
• Building long-term partnerships with existing suppliers to secure long-term employment

HP should achieve greater supply chain transparency by posting the full list of its outsourcing suppliers on its website for public scrutiny.

HP should advance humane globalization by working continuously with the ILO and other global institutes toward building a better community.

¹Experienced nongovernmental organizations and academic groups that are involved in in-factory workers' rights trainings include notably the Chinese Working Women Network (CWWN), Labor Education and Service Network (LESN), China Labor Support Network (CLSN), and the Peking U- HK PolyU China Social Work Research Centre.