Tchibo's 'WE Project' Expands to India
Promoting dialogue between workers and managers for social quality
Dialogue is the foundation for addressing some of the most challenging issues in workplaces. Significant improvements to working conditions are achieved and sustained when workers and managers have the knowledge, tools and communication platform to jointly resolve labor issues and identify improvements to the company's overall operations.
Since 2007, Tchibo GmbH, a leading coffee and consumers goods retailer based in Germany and an SAI Corporate Program member, has implemented its successful "WE Project" in Bangladesh, China and Thailand. Tchibo GmbH launched the new WE Project chapter in India on 7-10 February with the training of trainers (ToT) in New Delhi. The ToT was led by Mr. Daniel Koltermann, Project Coordinator Tchibo GmbH, along with other master trainers, in cooperation with SAI and the CRB (Center for Responsible Business).
As part of SAI's ongoing commitment and partnership with Tchibo GmbH and its WE Project, SAI's India Project Director Rishi Sher Singh helped coordinate the event, including the selection of participants, logistics, and materials. Mr. Singh also participated in the ToT to help create a diverse learning group and actively support the ToT. Twelve trainers participated in the ToT, and four of these trainers have been selected for the first stage of implementation of the WE program in India.
This work builds on SAI's current participation in the WE Project chapter in China., where the training team consists of twelve trainers and is coordinated by Sustainability Agents (Susa). SAI staff members Harrison Xu and Jane Liu lead SAI's participation in the WE Project as members of the WE China training team.
The WE Project aims to improve working conditions in production facilities, mostly in Asia, by establishing workplace cooperation and strengthening factories' ownership of labor standards implementation. The Project was initiated in September 2007 by Tchibo GmbH and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Tchibo GmbH is an internationally operating German retailer, founded in 1949, originally just selling coffee via mail-order. Today, Tchibo GmbH is one of the best known brands in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It offers a wide range of consumer goods in numerous stores and other sales channels. Sustainability is a core aspect of Tchibo GmbH's business strategy. Achim Lohrie, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Tchibo GmbH, serves as the current chair of SAI's Advisory Board. Tchibo GmbH is also an SAI Corporate Programs member at the Signatory level. In May 2012, SAI interviewed Mr. Lohrie to discuss these roles, as well as the inspiration and future of the WE Project.
