The Working Group 03 (WG03), established in 2010 with a focus on social sustainability, aims to enhance the understanding of labour rights issues in the banana industry and develop a global roadmap for promoting decent work. The group prioritizes three key areas: occupational health and safety (OHS), gender equity, and the rights to freedom of association, collective bargaining, and social dialogue. Recently, the group has also addressed child labor prevention, protection, and elimination in the banana sector.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on workers’ rights, particularly affecting women, and the upcoming mandatory human rights due diligence requirements, addressing labor rights in the banana industry has become even more critical.

Objectives

• Provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss and develop long-term, sustainable solutions for labor issues in the global banana industry.
• Facilitate information-sharing on the current status of labour rights within the global banana industry, as well as recommendations and good practices for improving on such issues as labour relations, collective bargaining, and other relevant thematic areas.
• Support research and knowledge generation to understand labor rights challenges and promote decent work in banana plantations.
• Provide knowledge and guidance to industry stakeholders on human rights due diligence.
• Assist members in identifying, mitigating, and eliminating labor rights risks in banana supply chains.
• Initiate and facilitate multi-stakeholder efforts and activities to promote and develop the WG03’s priority areas, such as studies, pilot projects, workshops, capacity-building sessions, trainings, and webinars.
• Mobilize resources for on-the-ground activities addressing labor rights in the banana industry.
• Encourage the replication of successful labor rights projects in banana-producing countries.
• Exchange relevant information with other WBF working groups, FAO divisions, and external partners to explore synergies.

Priorities and activities

The WG03 works closely with other divisions within FAO, UN agencies, international organizations and industry actors to enable progress in the below priority areas, through knowledge generation, sharing of good practices, and multi-stakeholder projects and collaboration:

Occupational health and safety

Banana production involves intensive use of agrochemicals and significant risks to the health and safety of workers, producers and their communities. The WG03 works to mitigate and eliminate these health risks through the WBF multi-stakeholder Banana Occupational Health and Safety Initiative (BOHESI).

Gender equity

Within WG03, a dedicated Task Force on Gender Equity (GE-TF) was established to ensure that gender equity is integrated throughout the work of the WBF. Members of the GE-TF collaborate to address the needs and priorities of women workers in the industry, including employment opportunities, empowerment, health and safety, sexual harassment and gender-based violence, and the gender pay gap.

Freedom of association, collective bargaining and social dialogue

WG03 collaborates with its members to promote and ensure freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining within the banana industry. Additionally, it seeks to promote and facilitate social dialogue and sound industrial relations as essential tools to support decent work.

Child labour prevention, protection and elimination

While significant progress has been made in addressing child labor in the global banana industry, this challenge persists, particularly in smallholder contexts and in light of the impacts of COVID-19. Therefore, WG03 supports governments and industry stakeholders in developing policies and implementing joint actions for the prevention, protection, and elimination of child labor.

All stakeholders in the banana industry are invited to participate in WG03. If you would like to join, please contact Victor Prada at [email protected] and/or the Secretariat at [email protected].