The call came on 16 March 2015 as the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) met in Brussels. EICC, an industry association that represents over 100 electronics companies, was discussing chemical management strategies.

A ‘challenge’ to EICC from a coalition coordinated by the campaign groups Good Electronics Network and the International Campaign for Responsible Technology (ICRT) urges the industry to improve its performance on chemicals management during the production process. They say electronics workers continue to suffer as a result of exposure to harmful chemicals.

The challenge emphasises the importance of disclosure, substitution of hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives, protection of workers, freedom of association, participation of workers in workplace monitoring, environmental protection, and the need for compensation of workers, communities and the environment for harm done.

“It’s astonishing that the most technically savvy companies in the world, whose names are on our electronics, say they still don’t know all of the materials used in their own products or in their supply chain production factories,” said ICRT’s Ted Smith. “What we need from this important industry is safe jobs and healthy families, where the next generation of children is at least as important as the next generation of chips.”

Pauline Overeem, coordinator of the GoodElectronics Network, was critical of the industry’s auditing systems. “These corporate audits don’t uncover chemical exposures and other labour rights violations all the way down the supply chain,” she said. “There is a clear disconnect between audits findings and the grim reality in many factories. That’s why we are challenging the industry to clean up its act now.”