H&M has initiated several steps to improve conditions of workers at its suppliers. One of its major goals has been to ensure that factory employees are represented by trade unions to negotiate collectively.

For this it is training factories on workplace cooperation, negotiation skills, collective bargaining and labor law.

The group facilitates dialogue between employers and employees at the factories and in the labor market in countries where its products are made.

Almost 300 factories are enrolled in the workplace dialogue and industrial relations programs while more than 3, 70,000 factory workers are directly covered by democratically elected worker representation through its programs run in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia and India.

The goal is to have democratically elected worker representatives and improved wage management systems in place at its supplier factories by 2018.

The group is also trying to make sure that wage issues are negotiated and that workers have knowledge about their wages, benefits and rights.

Such systems are being implemented at an increasing number of factories - 140 until the end of 2016, and an additional 96 during 2017.

Factories in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, China, Turkey and Myanmar are participating in this program.

In a bid to herald change in the entire fashion industry, the group is focusing on collaboration projects with partners to train management and workers on workplace cooperation and dispute resolution.