Recherchetool für Materialien Things are going wrong here... – Working conditions in the Turkish footwear and leather industry Employees report wages below living standards and an extreme increase in informal employment. In addition, overlong working days and the discrimination of trade unions are the rule. In particular, the intensive use of chemicals is a major problem in leather production, with a massive impact on the health of workers. Chemicals (such as chromium VI), which are used for preservation, as solvents or tannins, cause respiratory, eye and skin diseases to cancer in the absence of protection. The study is particularly sensitive to the worrying political upheavals in Turkey. EU politicians and business criticise these political developments, but at the same time want to develop trade relations with the country. European shoe companies benefit directly from the low purchase prices and are therefore jointly responsible for the labour rights violations on the ground. For example, the largest buyer of Turkish footwear is the European Union, most notably Germany. In 2015, EU countries imported $162 million worth of shoes from Turkey. Turkish shoe companies, which benefit from a customs union with the EU, are aiming to massively increase the volume of exports to Europe in the future. Editorial team: Nora Grosse, Berndt Hinzmann Herausgeber*in/Autor*in: Axel Schröder/INKOTA-netzwerk, Berlin Medienart: Hintergrundinformation Erscheinungsjahr: 2017 Zielgruppe: Erwachsene select the language: Englisch Scope: 32 pagesReference: Free of charge for download English-language study free of charge for download back
