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Trade Justice Movement - The Campaign

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Make Business Work for People and Planet

The Facts

Did you know that over half of the richest 'economies' in the world today belong not to countries but corporations? 

Companies carry out over 70% of the world's trade and some exert considerable influence on the rules that govern that trade. 

Whilst many companies are a force for good, providing jobs and boosting the economy, some cause harm:

  • to the environment in which they operate,
  • to the health of the people that work for them or
  • to the way of life of their neighbours. 

Voluntary "corporate responsibility"

Although in this country there are a host of rules to ensure that our companies uphold our national laws, there are none to ensure that they protect the environment and rights of communities abroad. 

Some companies do take these issues into account through "corporate social responsibility" programmes, but the success of such voluntary initiatives is variable.  Combine this with the fact that laws, or more often law enforcement in many developing countries is weak, and the result is, all too frequently, stories of environmental damage or workers being exploited.

Changing company law

The Trade Justice Movement (TJM) feels that the best way to stop these problems is by governments in countries in which multinational companies are based making firm rules which ensure that corporations act responsibly and that they are held to account wherever they operate.

In Britain the laws that govern companies are currently being reviewed.   This means that we have a good opportunity to campaign for changes that would help to protect the environment and the rights of people anywhere where they are affected by British based companies.

The Company Law Reform Bill, as proposed by the government, states that companies should give some consideration to environmental and social issues, but these will remain secondary to the need to deliver profits to shareholders. 

TJM feels that this is far from what is needed to stop businesses profiting at the expense of people and the environment and is pushing for amendments that would ensure that companies are obliged to minimise damage to the environment and local communities. 

The Movement also wants rules so that companies have to report on their social and environmental impacts, and so that people overseas who are harmed by the activities of a UK company are able to take action against them in a UK court.