Tannery Workers’ Union Strengthens Worker Voices Through HREDD Training

The training served as an important opportunity to strengthen workers’ understanding of workplace risks, worker representation, and the relationship between environmental conditions and human rights impacts. By bringing together TWU members from across the sector, the engagement aimed to build a shared understanding of common challenges and practical approaches to promoting safer and fairer workplaces. 

Discussions covered key principles of HREDD, with a focus on identifying and assessing workplace risks, raising concerns through appropriate channels, and contributing to prevention and remediation efforts. Participants reflected on challenges faced within their own factories and explored the role of worker representatives in supporting effective communication and problem-solving between workers and management. A significant focus of the training was the connection between environmental risks and workers’ wellbeing. Participants examined issues such as chemical exposure, unsafe chemical storage, poor waste management, water pollution, noise pollution, and inadequate ventilation. Discussions also considered the wider impacts of these risks on surrounding communities and highlighted the importance of early identification and response. 

The training further provided space for TWU members to exchange experiences and consider practical actions to strengthen workplace conditions, including participation in safety committees, worker awareness initiatives, and constructive engagement with factory management. Participants also reflected on the importance of addressing issues such as fair wages and climate-related concerns through future workplace dialogue and agreements. The training strengthened the capacity of TWU members to contribute to safer, more responsible, and more sustainable workplaces across the tannery sector.