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Pressemeldungen - Unternehmensverantwortung & Lieferkettengesetz

Change begins with you, OTTO - Sign the new binding security agreement!

Press release of the Clean Clothes Campaign of 20.05.2021

On 15 May 2013, just weeks after the Rana Plaza collapse, which killed at least 1,134 people, brands and retailers, along with trade unions, signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (Accord). This landmark, legally binding agreement expires in 10 days, on May 31, 2021, after the program has made 1,600 factories safer for over two million garment workers over the past eight years. The Clean Clothes Germany campaign calls on the 200 brands and retailers that are currently signatories to the Accord, including the Otto Group, to sign a new legally binding security agreement.

So far, OTTO and many other brands and retailers have indicated that they want to rely solely on the ReadyMade Garmen-Sustainability Council (RSC) to continue the Accord's work on the ground, but cannot hold the fashion brands accountable. Without the support of a legally binding and enforceable agreement involving the workers and independent oversight by which the unions can hold individual brands and retailers accountable, such a mechanism would be no better than the voluntary programs that could not prevent the collapse of Rana Plaza. For this reason, the Bangladeshi and global unions, which now hold one-third of the seats in the RSC, have announced that they will withdraw their participation on June 1 if no binding agreement is reached.

Investor organisations, Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission have praised the agreement for meeting due diligence requirements because it is binding, inclusive and enforceable. Especially in these uncertain times during a pandemic, the Accord provides guidance for brands such as Otto and suppliers in Bangladesh on how to ensure the safety of employees in the workplace. It is extremely irresponsible for brands to withdraw from the one agreement that they themselves hold accountable and to be seen as a model for success.

In light of due diligence legislation in Germany and Europe, we call on Otto to continue to support the programme, which already addresses a significant category of risks in its supply chain, and to protect the progress achieved. The company should follow the example of other Accord member brands such as ASOS and Tchibo, which have publicly come out in support of the new agreement.

Contact:

Artemisa Ljarja
Coordinator Express Actions Campaign for Clean Clothes
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: +49 178 823 30 79