Call to Action : Approve the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive

Brussels 19th April 2024

• To MEPs

Dear Members of the European Parliament,

As the Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), I write to you today urgently prompting you to support the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDD Directive) during the upcoming plenary vote on April 24th.

The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated. Global supply chains, spanning continents and industries, often hide grave violations of human rights and environmental degradation. From child labour in cocoa production to the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza building, the need for action is clear.

The CSDD Directive represents a crucial step towards ensuring that goods and services within the European Union are produced and delivered under fair and humane working conditions. It incentivizes companies to detect and prevent abuses in their operations and value chains, safeguarding both human rights including workers and trade union rights and the environment.

It is heartening to note that there is overwhelming support for this directive. Trade unions, civil society, and responsible businesses alike recognize the imperative to hold companies accountable for their impact on workers, communities, and the planet.

With 24 April 2024 marking exactly the 11th anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy, it is your responsibility to take decisive action to prevent such atrocities from happening again. The CSDD Directive is not only necessary and urgent; it is feasible and beneficial. It will provide a real competitive advantage for European businesses while ensuring the protection of human rights and the environment in the increasingly interconnected world.

Therefore, the ETUC  urges you, esteemed Members of the European Parliament, to vote in favour of the CSDD Directive on April 24th. Let us lay the foundations for mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence and responsible business conduct in the EU and pave the way together for a sustainable European economy with more social justice, respect for human rights including workers and trade union rights at its heart.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Kind regards,

Isabelle Schömann
Deputy General Secretary
European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)