Trade unions, civil society organisations and factory management once again discussed experiences and obstacles at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Forum in the clothing and footwear sector this year.
Berlin. In the future, large companies in the EU will have to work towards compliance with human rights and environmental standards in their supply chains. Der Rat der Europäischen Union hat die entsprechende Richtlinie, das sogenannte EU-Lieferkettengesetz, heute final beschlossen. This puts an end to months of political tug-of-war, in which the FDP in particular wanted to bring the project down on the German side. EU Member States now have two years to transpose the project into national law. The Federal Government must adapt the existing German Supply Chain Act accordingly.
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This year's Annual General Meeting of Zalando in mid-May provided an opportunity for a critical examination of the company by FEMNET and the umbrella organization of critical shareholders. The focus of the discussion was on the sustainability and social justice of the online mail order company.
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Clothing swap events are more popular than ever and have been a central topic in the FEMNET education sector in recent weeks and months. We look back on many successful events and a variety of exchanged garments!
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Joint press release from FEMNET, the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Association of Critical Shareholders
Bonn, Cologne, Berlin – On the occasion of Hugo Boss’s upcoming annual general meeting on 14 May 2024, FEMNET, the Campaign for Clean Clothes (CCC) and the umbrella organisation of Critical Shareholders criticise the unilateral sustainability strategy and question whether Hugo Boss complies with its due diligence obligations under the German Supply Chain Act.
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Networking, learning from each other and working together for fair fashion is the aim of the fashion interACTION network. In order to get one step closer to this goal, we decided on 5 May 2024 to fashion interACTION action camp in Cologne hit. More than 20 activists from academia and civil society have come together to network and jointly develop ideas for action for a socially just clothing industry.
© Pieter van de Boogert
Press release of the Clean Clothes Campaign 22.04.2024
Wednesday, April 24, 2024, marks the 11th anniversary of the worst tragedy in the fashion industry: the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which killed 1,138 people. On this occasion, Artemisa Ljarja from the Campaign for Clean Clothes Germany draws the following conclusion: "Although unprecedented progress has been made in improving safety in factories since then, the brutal crackdown on the protests for the increase in the minimum wage shows that fashion brands producing in Bangladesh still do not ensure that basic rights are respected in their supply chains."
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On 17 April 2024, the first clothes exchange took place at the Realschule Bobingen (RSB). More and more people are interested in sustainable consumption. Clothes exchanges offer an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to shopping. One student reported.
With its latest study, our partner organisation Cividep offers a comprehensive insight into the challenges and solutions of grievance mechanisms in the Indian garment industry. The focus is particularly on the role that multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) such as the Textiles Partnership can play in effectively supporting local mechanisms. In addition to the presentation of the numerous existing, but mostly non-functioning complaint options, as well as an overview of existing "back-up" approaches, the study therefore also formulates demands and recommendations for all stakeholders of an MSI.
Behind the seems - Evaluating the effictiveness of grieviance mechanisms for workers in the export garment industry
2023, 70 Pages, 1,2 MB (PDF-Datei)
Foto: © FEMNET
At the beginning of December 2023, FEMNET was part of a delegation trip to India. The trip was dominated by important topics such as gender equality, rights holders and workers' rights in the textile industry. This mission was carried out as part of the German government's sector project on 'Social and Ecological Transformation of Textile Supply Chains', which is responsible for the Green Button, the Siegelklarheit initiative and the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles.
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Clothes Radio presenters Amelie and Anna took to the microphone for a very special episode in the Clothes Podcast and went to FEMNET in Bonn.
They speak on site with the two trade unionists Tithi Afrin and Md. Shahinur Rahman from Bangladesh on "11 years after Rana Plaza" and the current situation on the ground:
Bonn. Over a decade ago, in April 2013, the devastating collapse of the Rana Plaza building occurred with over 1000 fatalities, revealing the urgent need for improved safety measures in the garment industry. Since then, significant progress has been made through the Accord safety agreement, but accidents at work remain a sad reality.
