Asos tackles the 'hidden workers' in retail supply chains

Asos has become the first major e-commerce retailer to sign a legally-binding human rights agreement with the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF). The September 2025 deal covers direct transport operations and logistics of the British fashion company —plus all subcontractors.

This makes Asos the first retailer with union partnerships covering both manufacturing and logistics across its entire value chain.

The hidden transport worker problem

Fashion companies regularly audit factories and track manufacturing conditions. The same retailers often, unintentionally, overlook the warehouse workers packing their products, truck drivers transporting them, and delivery staff completing the final mile to customers.

The challenge is that logistics workers often face risks that traditional supply chain monitoring misses. Unlike factory workers at fixed locations, logistics personnel are dispersed and mobile, crossing jurisdictions where enforcement gaps create exploitation risks. Complex subcontracting—from freight forwarders to last-mile delivery—amplifies these vulnerabilities.

What Asos's deal with the ITF covers

The agreement covers Asos's entire global logistics network with enforceable mechanisms, not voluntary commitments. This includes Asos's own distribution centers plus subcontracted logistics providers—ocean freight, trucking fleets, and final-mile delivery services.

ITF-affiliated unions gain site access for worker organizing and monitoring. Joint grievance mechanisms let workers report violations without retaliation. When problems occur, the agreement mandates specific remediation steps rather than improvement promises.

Asos and ITF will jointly train logistics suppliers on worker rights while advocating for stronger industry standards on climate impacts and gender equality in transport roles.

This new partnership comes on top of Asos's 2017 manufacturing agreement with global union IndustriALL, creating comprehensive coverage from factories making clothes to networks delivering them to customers.

Where this fits

Asos joined New Look and TFG Brands as UK fashion retailers with ITF transport partnerships. New Look signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in August 2024 covering 19 sourcing countries. TFG Brands' March 2023 MOU focused on technical working groups and risk assessment.

Asos's legally-binding approach represents the most comprehensive model. The timing also matters. The House of Lords concluded Britain has "fallen behind internationally" on modern slavery and recommended mandatory due diligence. The government's December 2024 response accepted many recommendations while assessing "effective due diligence rules."

Unlike sustainability regulations that face political pushback, modern slavery legislation enjoys cross-party support as a business risk issue. In the EU, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) also explicitly covers downstream transport and storage, creating compliance pressure for companies in European markets on these issues.

Setting the benchmark

Asos has established a new industry standard by becoming the first major e-commerce retailer with legally-binding worker protection spanning manufacturing through logistics.

As regulatory pressure continues to intensify and stakeholders increasingly demand more accountability for worker conditions throughout supply chains, Asos's proactive approach may well become the baseline expectation rather than the exceptional initiative it currently is.