Pressemeldungen - Unternehmensverantwortung & Lieferkettengesetz © FEMNET 24 November 2022 Supply Chain Act – now German companies must deliver: Human rights organizations threaten to complain about textile companies neglecting safety in factories Joint press release by FEMNET and ECCHR Bonn / Berlin. Today, 24 November 2022, marks the tenth anniversary of the Tazreen fire, which killed more than 110 textile workers in Bangladesh. Exactly six months later, more than 1,100 people sewing clothes for international fashion companies died in the rubble of Rana Plaza. The ‘Bangladesh Building Safety and Fire Protection Agreement’ (Bangladesh Accord) It was a response to these tragedies and has successfully helped prevent such avoidable disasters in the apparel industry, where all other programs have failed. The Accord in Bangladesh is considered to be the most successful mechanism for improving workplace safety in the world. Nevertheless, to date, some of the leading companies producing in Bangladesh have not signed either the Bangladesh Accord or its successor, the International Accord, which provides for the extension of the agreement to other countries such as Pakistan. "20 years of social audits did not lead to better working conditions, but rather the certificates served as a free pass for companies not to worry about better conditions in the factories themselves. The signing of the Accord means that companies also act responsibly themselves and do not benefit as free riders from others who have signed the agreement", says Dr Gisela Burckhardt, CEO of FEMNET and expert on human rights in the textile industry. “In January 2023, the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) will enter into force. Then companies are finally legally obliged to act when they learn that there is a risk in their supply chain. Companies have been asked countless times in the last decade to finally sign the Accord, now is the time to make it legally binding.” FEMNET has partnered with the human rights organisation ECCHR, which uses legal means to counter human rights violations committed by companies worldwide. Together with other supporters, FEMNET and ECCHR are therefore addressing today in a Public letter to those companies to which the German LkSG applies from 2023 and which have not yet signed the International Accord: Tom Tailor, Deichmann, IKEA and Amazon. "The German law must contribute to the effective protection of workers. We are convinced that the non-signature of the Accord constitutes a breach of corporate due diligence," said Dr Miriam Saage-Maaß, lawyer and legal director of ECCHR. “We will therefore examine the legal means available to hold companies accountable here.” The German NGOs are supported by those affected in the producing countries. Certifications and audits have not saved the lives of thousands of workers in Bangladesh and other countries such as Pakistan. These instruments have proven to be insufficient time and again to ensure safety in factories. Together with our German colleagues, we demand that the lives of the workers here are finally effectively protected," says Kalpona Akter, President of the Bangladesh Garment & Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF). For more information: Open letter in the text Report on security flaws in Pakistan Press contact FEMNET: Anne Munzert Tel.: +49 (0)228 18 03 81 16This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ECCHR: Maria Bause, Tel.: +49 (0)30-69 81 97 97This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Download the press release (PDF)
