Scotland’s Universities and Colleges become the first full sector in any country to all be members of Electronics Watch

All 44 Universities and Colleges in Scotland (19 HEIs and 25 FEIs) have become affiliate members of Electronics Watch, facilitated via their membership of APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges - the Centre of Procurement Expertise for HE and FE in Scotland).  This is the first time a sector of public bodies in a country has joined Electronics Watch in its entirely, and demonstrates the push within the sector in Scotland to achieve a transparent and fair supply chain for the products sourced. In Scotland, APUC, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Aberdeen along with key partners in England such as LUPC, were Founder Members of the organisation. 

This joined up, collaborative approach enables all member institutions to reap the benefits of EW membership and provides a strong collective push on electronic industry brands to improve labour conditions in their supply chains. 

About Electronics Watch

Publicly funded organisations are large consumers of ICT hardware such as portable and desktop computers, printers, display screens, and media storage, and purchase these products through long-term contracts. They can, therefore, create market opportunities for companies that commit to respect labour rights and safety standards in global supply chains, and hold them accountable for any failure to do so.

Electronics Watch coordinates with publicly funded sector buyers and gives them the essential tools to create effective market demand for decent working conditions in their ICT hardware supply chains.  Publicly funded sector affiliate members pool resources through Electronics Watch to obtain reliable intelligence about working conditions at significantly reduced cost. They insert the Electronics Watch Contract Conditions in ICT hardware contracts, requiring their contractors to exercise due diligence to achieve respect for labour rights and safety standards in factories that assemble or make the components of the goods they purchase.  When publicly funded sector buyers in many countries take action together, based on the same supply chain intelligence and the same enforceable contract requirements, working conditions can improve.

The Electronics Watch model for change is a three-step process:

• First, Electronics Watch organises enforceable demand for decent working conditions in the ICT hardware supply chain through contract performance conditions that affiliates include in their contracts for ICT hardware products.
• Then Electronics Watch monitors for compliance and helps to strengthen workers' own voices to monitor and report on labour rights and safety breaches in their factories.
• Finally, Electronics Watch works with affiliates, workers, companies and other stakeholders to address the problems in factories, compensate workers for harm they have suffered, and develop "socially responsible trading conditions" to ensure sustainable change.

To find out more becoming an affiliate member of Electronics Watch, click here.