News about Our Work - 30 August 2016 Complaint about factory fire at KiK supplier: District Court of Dortmund: Affected persons from Pakistan receive legal aid in the proceedings against KiK Saeeda Khatoon and Nasir Mansoor report on the suffering and struggle of those affected by the factory fire in Pakistan. Photo: © Holger Priedemuth Justice for 260 dead and 32 injured: This is what the survivors and survivors of the fire disaster in the textile factory Ali Enterprises in Karachi (Pakistan) demand. Four of them filed a lawsuit against the German textile discounter KiK at the Dortmund Regional Court in March 2015. KiK was, according to its own information, the main customer of the factory that burned down in September 2012. Today, the court ruled: It considers itself competent and the applicants receive legal aid. This decision is the first step to ensure that a case of human rights violations by German companies abroad is also heard in a German court. The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) welcomes the decision. Likewise, lawyer Prof. Dr. Remo Klinger, who represents the plaintiffs in court. With the procedure, the plaintiffs want to make it clear that transnational companies are also liable for the working conditions in their subsidiaries and suppliers abroad. "The victims of the global textile industry are demanding justice. The beneficiaries of this unjust system can now be held legally responsible in Germany for the first time," said ECCHR Secretary General Wolfgang Kaleck. The lawsuit against KiK also proves how necessary legal reforms are. ‘The Federal Government must finally introduce enforceable due diligence obligations for German companies abroad. The ‘National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights’ is the opportunity to do so.’ Thomas Seibert of medico international underlined: “The pressure from the Global South is increasing, more and more workers are organising themselves and are ready to go to court for their rights and fair working conditions, including in Germany.” The workers at the KiK supplier in Karachi choked or burned because many windows were barred and some emergency exits were closed. The plaintiffs, a survivor and three relatives are members of the Baldia Factory Fire Affectees Association, which has organized nearly 200 families. They demand compensation from KiK in the amount of 30,000 euros per victim. Further information on the ECCHR homepage Portrait of the plaintiffs (PDF file) Questions and answers with background information on the case (PDF file) The effectiveness of audits in the textile industry (PDF file)Expert opinion of Dr. Gisela Burckhardt in response to the arguments of KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH As of December 2015 CONTACT: ECCHR, Anabel Bermejo Tel. : +49 - (0)30 - 6981 9797 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ECCHR press release of 30.08.2016 Note: On September 10, 2016, after four years of public protest and months of negotiations, an agreement was reached to compensate the victims and relatives of the killed workers of the Ali Enterprise factory in Pakistan. They will receive $5 million in compensation. The agreement on compensation for victims is the result of long negotiations between IndustriALL, CCC, and KiK, which were conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) at the request of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Press release of 10.09.2016: KiK is paying! Four years after the deadly factory fire in Pakistan, there is agreement on compensation for the victims Video tip: In 2010, Kampage for Clean Clothes created the video "Schön Färber", which ends with companies ensuring that no lawsuits are allowed in Germany. Although the decision of the Landgericht Dortmund does not yet mean a statement as to whether the plaintiffs are right, it is a first stage victory. Should there be hope for the victims?
