Infants without care at suppliers of H&M, Primark, Zalando & co On World Children's Day, FEMNET petition with more than 14,100 signatures calls on fashion companies to protect the children of their seamstresses! Details Published: 20 September 2018 Read more …
First preliminary assessment of the submitted road maps of companies in the Textile Alliance by Gisela Burckhardt The Steering Committee of the Textile Alliance in Cologne 2018. 3rd from Gisela Burckhardt. Photo: © Alliance for Sustainable Textiles Each member of the Textile Alliance had to draw up an action plan (Roadmap) and publish it for the first time this year how it intends to contribute to improving social and environmental conditions in the supply chain in 2018 (FEMNET-Action plan and Progress report as PDF files). The roadmaps are reviewed by external, independent service providers and published on the website of the Textile Alliance. Currently, the Textile Alliance has around 130 members, 79 of whom are companies that, despite some withdrawals, account for almost half of clothing sales in Germany. Brands and retailers had to plan measures for ten binding targets, six additional targets were recommended, and they were also able to set voluntary targets. The roadmaps provide information on which three main production countries companies source goods from and which three main sales markets they have. Details Published: 20 September 2018 Read more …
Anniversary of the factory fire at KiK suppliers in Pakistan Complaint against Italian testing service provider RINA, which issued a certificate to the factory despite safety deficiencies. Details Published: 11 September 2018 Read more …
FEMNET progress report for 2017 and roadmap for 2018 published As a member of the Alliance for Sustainable Textiles, FEMNET has published a progress report on the goals set in 2017 and a catalogue of measures for 2018 (Roadmap). Download Progress Report 2017 (PDF file) Download the FEMNET Roadmap 2018 (PDF file) Details Published: 28 July 2018
FEMNET and the Clean Clothes Campaign condemn employers' proposal on minimum wage for workers in Bangladesh and call on companies to act Trade union representatives demonstrate for a minimum wage of 16,000 Taka on 27.7.2018. Photo: © NGWF The Bangladesh Clothing Industry Employers' Association (BGMEA) has shown extreme contempt for the well-being of workers and their lives outside the factories. On Monday, July 16, BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) proposed setting the minimum wage for workers at 6,360 Taka (approximately €64). This amount does not reach nearly a subsistence wage level in Bangladesh, nor does it remedy the neglect of the required legal minimum wage increase in the last 5 years. Details Published: 27 July 2018 Read more …
FEMNET and the Clean Clothes Campaign condemn employers' proposal on minimum wage for workers in Bangladesh and call on companies to act Trade union representatives demonstrate for a minimum wage of 16,000 Taka on 27.7.2018. Photo: © NGWF The Bangladesh Clothing Industry Employers' Association (BGMEA) has shown extreme contempt for the well-being of workers and their lives outside the factories. On Monday, July 16, BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) proposed setting the minimum wage for workers at 6,360 Taka (approximately €64). This amount does not reach nearly a subsistence wage level in Bangladesh, nor does it remedy the neglect of the required legal minimum wage increase in the last 5 years. Details Published: 27 July 2018 Read more …
The multipliers practice the practical implementations in the simulation game. © FEMNET Multipliers trained to disseminate eco-fair procurement procedures The multipliers practice the practical implementations in the simulation game. More and more municipalities are starting to develop more effective methods for procuring proven sustainable products. Details Published: 20 July 2018 Read more …
Cologne procures fair: Tender for work shoes successfully completed After the work shoes, workwear will also be procured according to eco-fair in the future. Photo: © FEMNET/Tobias WesselingProtection from dirt, but chic enough for funerals: Work shoes of cemetery employees must meet very special requirements. The city of Cologne, capital of fair trade in 2017, follows the Bonn example and has successfully completed its pilot project on eco-fair procurement. In collaboration with FEMNET, she procured 250 pairs of work shoes that were produced with social and environmental criteria in mind. Details Published: 18 July 2018 Read more …
Morally long overdue, now also legally: The minimum wage in Bangladesh must be raised. Demonstration on 5 July 2018. Photo: © NGWFTrade unions and workers demonstrate for wage increases in clothing factories On July 5, our Bangladeshi partner NGWF (National Garment Worker Federation) organized a rally in Dhaka to protest for the long overdue increase in the minimum wage in Bangladesh's garment industry. After the Bangladeshi government brutally suppressed previous protests and imprisoned hundreds of trade unionists and workers, it finally set up a wage authority on 29 January 2018 to reset the minimum wage for textile workers. Details Published: 09 July 2018 Read more …
© FEMNET OECD complaint on TÜV Rheinland test report on RanaPlaza factory Ministry of Economy recognises need for action for reforms in controls in the global supply chains of the textile industry Berlin and Dhaka. The system of controls on safety and working conditions (social audits) in the global supply chains of the textile industry needs to be fundamentally changed. The Final declaration The OECD National Contact Point (NKS) at the Federal Ministry of Economics in Berlin in the Rana Plaza complaint procedure against the testing service provider TÜV Rheinland could pave the way for necessary reforms. The NCP recommends a dialogue between testing service providers, business associations, dealers, manufacturers and trade unions. Topics include: the transparency of audit reports and whether it makes sense for controls (social audits) to be paid by the owners of the factories checked: In addition, the NCP recommends measures that could already be implemented today, such as incorporating the experience of trade unions and workers. Details Published: 05 July 2018 Read more …
Textile seal ‘Green button’ / More appearance than being Development Minister Gerd Müller plans to introduce the ‘Green Button’ label for textiles soon. However, the campaign for clean clothing warns urgently of the danger of dilution. Through the seal, Development Minister Gerd Müller wants to make it clear to consumers at first glance whether the purchased garment was also produced under ecologically good and socially acceptable conditions. ‘Such a label is desirable for consumers under two conditions: If it includes demanding social and ecological standards and if it covers the entire textile value chain, i.e. from the cotton field to the hanger. However, there is a risk of dilution with the voluntary "Green Button" seal", says Ingeborg Mehser from the Church Service in the World of Work. Details Published: 28 June 2018 Read more …
Civil society members see textile alliance at risk The textile alliance initiated by Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller (CSU) does not sufficiently motivate companies to commit themselves to respecting human rights in their supply chains. This is criticised by the civil society members of the alliance on the occasion of a networking meeting that will take place on 5 June 2018 in Hanover. The companies that have joined the Textile Alliance so far cover slightly less than 50 percent of the German textile market. It is also likely that additional members will have to leave the alliance at the beginning of July if they do not comply with the obligation to draw up an annual action plan. Civil society members pointed out that the voluntary textile alliance could make meaningful contributions to the implementation of standards. However, effective legal rules applicable to all companies are necessary for the realization of human rights in the textile supply chain. Details Published: 05 June 2018 Read more …
