Ethical Clothing Extended Responsibilities Scheme (ECERS)

Do you sell textile, clothing or footwear (TCF) products manufactured, altered or worked on in Australia to NSW customers? If so, you have legal obligations under the ECERS. Check the “What do I need to do now?” section below. 

What is the ECERS?

The Ethical Clothing Extended Responsibilities Scheme (ECERS) is a mandatory NSW Government legislative scheme designed to ensure that outworkers across the TCF industry receive their lawful entitlements.

The Scheme achieves this by requiring retailers to keep and report certain particulars about their supply chain arrangements to NSW Industrial Relations (NSW IR) and to the Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union (TFTU), giving regulatory visibility over supply chains, whether or not outworkers are engaged in these chains.

It is an offence not to comply with the Scheme and NSW Industrial Relations and the TFTU have powers to enforce compliance. Refer to “what will I need to do when the ECERS is relaunched?” for information on what compliance with the ECERS means.

The relaunch approach is education-first in year one, with a focus on awareness, clear guidance and practical tools to support retailers to understand what they need to do and how to do it. After the first year, enforcement and compliance activity under the ECERS will be formally reactivated. 

Why is ECERS being relaunched?

While ECERS took effect on 1 July 2005 and is still currently technically in operation, it hasn’t been actively used in recent years.

It is being relaunched by NSW IR in late 2026 as recommended by a Joint Modern Slavery Committee Inquiry, which the NSW Government has endorsed.

What do I need to do now?

If you are a retailer that is accredited under the Ethical Clothing Australia Code of Practice (ECA Code), you do not need to do anything. 

If you are a retailer who is NOT accredited under the ECA Code (or you are unsure of your ECA status), you will need to: 

1. Use the “check if you are in-scope” tool to confirm whether the ECERS applies to you.
2. If you are in-scope, register here for updates.

What will I need to do when the ECERS is relaunched?

Once the ECERS is relaunched in late 2026, retailers will need to:

1. Request certain particulars from their suppliers including the location of work under an agreement for supply, if outworkers are engaged, and details of any contractors engaged by the supplier.
2. Report the supplier particulars to NSW IR and TFTU quarterly. Information about how to do this will be released shortly.