Mars, Tesco, Vinci & General Electric join Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment
Four large companies have signed up to the Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment, an international business alliance campaigning to eliminate fees imposed on applicants when they take jobs. The group, which sees the charging of employees as a main cause of forced labour, has been joined by the US food group Mars, the UK supermarket chain Tesco, the French construction company Vinci, and the international conglomerate GE headquartered in Massachusetts. The member companies, which promote the Employer Pays Principle initiated by the group, want bold collective action to eradicate the fees within 10 years. They believe the money demanded, particularly from migrant workers, leads to forced labour, debt cycles and exploitation. [also refers to Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, Ikea, Marks & Spencer, Unilever & Walmart]