Summary
The Inditex Code of Conduct for Manufacturers and Suppliers sets the labour, health and safety, environmental and ethical standards that suppliers to the Inditex Group must follow. It covers forced and child labour, freedom of association, non-discrimination, safe working conditions, environmental compliance and anti-corruption, and it follows ILO conventions, the UN Guiding Principles and OECD guidelines. Compliance is checked through social audits. Legal duties now back up such codes: Germany’s Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz (LkSG), the EU CSDDD (now for companies with over 5,000 employees and EUR 1.5 billion turnover from July 26, 2029), the EU Forced Labour Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 (applying from December 14, 2027), the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and Canada’s S-211.
The Inditex Code of Conduct (CoC) for Manufacturers and Suppliers sets the social, labour, environmental and ethical standards that manufacturers and suppliers producing for the Inditex Group must follow. It applies across the group’s brands, which include Zara, Zara Home, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Lefties.
What does the Code of Conduct cover?
- Labour standards: prohibition of forced and child labour, in line with the ILO core labour conventions
- Health and safety: safe working conditions, fire safety and emergency preparedness
- Freedom of association: workers’ right to organise and bargain collectively
- Non-discrimination: equal treatment and opportunity regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion
- Environmental compliance: compliance with local environmental law and Inditex’s own environmental standards (GTW, CTW, RTM)
- Ethical conduct: prohibition of corruption, bribery and deceptive practices
The Code follows international frameworks including the UN Global Compact, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Compliance is monitored through social audits, including third-party assessments. Inditex also took part in the International Accord on fire and building safety after the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013.
Which due diligence laws apply in Germany, the EU, the UK, the US and Canada?
- Germany: the Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz (LkSG) requires risk analysis, preventive measures and a complaints procedure. The annual report to BAFA has been abolished retroactively from January 1, 2023, but the other duties remain.
- EU: after Omnibus I (Directive (EU) 2026/470), the CSDDD covers companies with over 5,000 employees and EUR 1.5 billion turnover from July 26, 2029, with fines capped at 3% of turnover, and the Forced Labour Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 will apply from December 14, 2027. Smaller suppliers are protected from excessive data requests under the voluntary VSME standard.
- UK: section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires large companies to publish an annual slavery and human trafficking statement.
- US: Section 307 of the Tariff Act bars imports made with forced labour, and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act presumes that goods from Xinjiang are made with forced labour.
- Canada: the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (S-211) requires annual reports, and the import ban on goods made with forced labour applies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a supplier code of conduct a legal requirement?
No. It is a contractual standard that a brand imposes, but due diligence laws now require large companies to identify and address risks in their supply chains, so codes are increasingly backed by legal duties.
How is compliance checked?
Through social audits, including third-party assessments, and worker complaint channels.
Related Inditex standards: CTW Standard | GTW Standard | RTM Standard | Safe to Wear Standard | The List III Edition
Related reading: What is Compliance? | Workers Consultation Program | Rana Plaza Collapse
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