Consultant – Freedom of Association (FoA) & Labour Rights in Cambridge

The global ready-made garment (RMG) sector has generated significant economic growth and formal employment across key production regions. However, despite these gains, workers, particularly women, continue to face systemic barriers to realising fundamental labour rights, including Freedom of Association (FoA) and Collective Bargaining (CB). These enabling rights are essential for addressing a wide range of human rights challenges, yet are routinely restricted due to legal, political, commercial, and structural pressures within industry.

As new mandatory Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (mHREDD) legislation emerges, brands and suppliers will face increasing obligations to identify, prevent, and mitigate FoA risks—including those linked to their own practices. This creates both a need and an opportunity for coordinated multi-stakeholder approaches that address root causes at systemic and sectoral levels.

To meet this need, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is establishing a social dialogue action network, a collaborative platform that enables brands, manufacturers, worker representatives, and local partners to work together using a systems-thinking approach grounded in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development approach to Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) and Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement (MSE) principles. The first stage of the project running from November 2025 to April 2026 is financed by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant will provide technical expertise in FoA, labour rights, HRDD, and multi-stakeholder engagement to support the first stage of the network, working closely with the ETI Programme Manager and in-country leads.

Key Objectives & Tasks:

• Develop stakeholder and opportunity maps for the three countries.
• Identify and synthesise country-level FoA risks and root causes.
• Support design of governance and accountability structures.
• Produce technical materials: briefing reports, assessment tools, action-plan templates.
• Support preparation for the network launch and Brand Engagement Series.

Deliverables:

• Workplan refinement – Week 1
• Stakeholder mapping and technical input – Month 1
• Country-specific risk synthesis & reports – Month 2
• Governance framework inputs – Month 3
• Tools & templates (risk assessment, action plans) – Month 4
• Support to continuation plans & communications – Month 4
• Final technical summary – End of contract

Reporting & Management:

Reports to ETI Programme Manager; close coordination with country leads.

Qualifications & Experience:

• 10+ years in labour rights and HRDD, with expertise in FoA and Collective Bargaining.
• Experience with multi-stakeholder initiatives and social dialogue platforms.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills; knowledge of OECD HRDD, ILO Conventions, MSE principles.

Desirable: experience in South Asia and/or Türkiye; gendered labour rights expertise.

Budget: The total budget available for this service/consultancy from January to 30 April 2026 is £14,500. This amount is inclusive of all applicable VAT and reverse-charge taxes or any other comparable charges, including those that may arise for consultants based outside the United Kingdom. The consultant is expected to provide a minimum of 6.5 days per month at a maximum daily rate of £550.

Application Process:

Please submit the following by 8 AM (UK time) on 15 December 2025 to hr@eti.org.uk, using “Consultant – FoA & Labour Rights” as the subject line:

• CV with two references
• Short technical proposal outlining approach and any key assumptions or questions for ETI
• Daily rate and availability

Please note that interviews for this position will take place on 18 and 19 December, so kindly save these dates. More in-depth information about the requirements of this position can be found in the Terms of Reference on our website.