Femnet e.V.

Pressemeldungen - Unternehmensverantwortung & Lieferkettengesetz

Critical Questions for Hugo Boss at the Shareholders' Meeting

Joint press release by FEMNET and the umbrella organisation Critical Shareholders

At the next Annual General Meeting of Hugo Boss on 11 May, FEMNET and the umbrella organisation of Critical Shareholders submitted critical questions to the fashion company.

On the one hand, it is about Hugo Boss' unclear attitude towards the forced labour of the Uyghurs in China, who are imprisoned in re-education and labour camps.

While other companies have drawn consequences and no longer source cotton from the region, Hugo Boss is sending conflicting signals. For example, the company told a US broadcaster that it no longer buys cotton from Xinjjang. In China, on the other hand, it asserted on the social media platform Weibo, to continue to remove cotton from the region. "It seems that Hugo Boss Business is more important than human rights", explains Gisela Burckhardt.

The company is also asked to answer questions about two supplier relationships in Bangladesh and India. FEMNET is in direct contact with local partner organisations promoting women's rights in the textile industry. According to the partners' reports, the coronavirus crisis has a serious impact on employees. No living wages are paid in the factories concerned. Burckhardt asks: ‘Did Hugo Boss cancel orders to these three suppliers or renegotiate prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic? Were workers dismissed from the factory?’

In addition, FEMNET criticizes that the complaint system at the Indian supplier does not work. It wasn't until early January that a young woman was raped by her supervisor in another factory and subsequently murdered. Burckhardt accuses Hugo Boss of failing to comply with its duty of care and of failing to ensure an effective complaint system with its supplier. Instead, the company said it would not continue to support the alliance initiative initiated specifically for the region. It was built and worn by members of the Textile Alliance, including Hugo Boss, and is committed to improving working conditions in the Indian textile industry.

Burckhardt also calls on Hugo Boss to push for an extension of the upcoming ACCORD building and fire protection agreement in Bangladesh.

Question sets:

• Questions about India and Bangladesh: Accord, Corona, wages (PDF file)
• Issues related to forced labour in China (PDF file)