“Kassen Crash” has confronted many labels and companies. Since these are international/foreign corporations, communication took place in English. Here are the original answers from those who responded to the query.
Bestseller AG (Jack and Jones, Only, Pieces, Vero Moda)
«BESTSELLER is committed to upholding the highest standards of responsible business conduct in our global supply chain.
Türkiye is an important sourcing country for BESTSELLER. Our Responsible Sourcing team work closely with our suppliers and conduct regular visits to factories to monitor compliance with our environmental and social requirements.
To answer your questions more specifically, regarding social conditions, we require suppliers to adhere to the national labor legislation for minimum wages and we have a zero-tolerance policy regarding the employment of undocumented migrant workers.
We work with suppliers to minimize their environmental footprint. Part of our chemical safety work includes mandating that suppliers adhere to strict guidelines that include the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the safe storage of chemicals. Additionally, while some suppliers continue to use pumice stone, we are working with all suppliers to adopt synthetic alternatives.»
HM
«Taking responsibility for how our products are done has always been fundamental to us, and we take any potential breach of our standards and requirements very seriously.
Child labor is entirely unacceptable to us, and we have robust measures in place to prevent and address it. This is clearly stated in our Sustainability Commitment that all our suppliers, with no exception, must comply with. Fair working conditions, health and safety at our suppliers’ factories and our environmental impact are all areas in which we have been proactively working for close to three decades, developing higher standards and stricter requirements for our production.
In addition to that, we are present in our main sourcing markets, such as Türkiye, with our own teams and that gives us a unique position to have daily contact with our suppliers’ factories. We visit them regularly and we closely follow how our production takes place. In our annual Sustainability Disclosure we report on cases of non-compliance with our minimum requirements and how we followed up on those. That is why we don’t recognize the reality depicted in your inquiry.
We publicly disclose our supplier list with the names and addresses of the suppliers’ we maintain a business relationship with. Our supplier list can be found on our websitetogether with extensive data of wages in our largest sourcing markets as we are very committed to the important work of improving wages in our sourcing markets.”
Inditex (Zara)
«Inditex takes conditions in its supply chain extremely seriously and has a rigorous and stringent compliance system to ensure its products are sourced ethically and that all our suppliers meet all relevant global and local standards for treatment of workers. Should any breach of our Code of Conduct (available here) be discovered anywhere in our supply chain, we act to address it as a matter of urgency. Be sure that our priority is to take the necessary action and to implement the correct procedures in order to preserve workers’ rights.
Therefore, and based on the above, please let us kindly ask again you to provide us with precise information (name, company, location) about the factory referenced in your first email so we can first check whether it is part of our supply chain or not -and, based on that, to investigate it accordingly.
Further details on the type of information you are preparing (format, length, expected publication date, etc.) will also be welcome as a matter of fairness.
Additionally, for your background and not for quotation about this specific request, we would like to underline for your reference our stringent Compliance Program (with recurrent audits and evaluations that are uniform in all the markets where we operate) and with permanent training for our suppliers . Our unique ‘workers at the center’ strategy is rooted in respect for human and labor rights, social dialogue, worker wellbeing and empowerment in our workplace and across the industry. We operate on a principle of continuous improvement and in cooperation with the main industry stakeholders, as it is the case of our partnership with IndustriALL Global Union, the international trade union federation with whom we have a pioneering Global Framework Agreement to achieve strong industrial relations and satisfaction worker.”
Pepe Jeans
«At Pepe Jeans, we are committed to sustainability in every aspect of our operations. Our goal is to build long-term relationships with partners who share our values and contribute to creating a positive impact on both the community and the planet. Our relationship with our supply chain is governed by our Ethical & Transparent Sourcing Program, which sets the framework for the social, ethical, and environmental standards that must be followed by any production unit within the Pepe Jeans supply chain to establish a business relationship.
We recognize the challenges within the textile industry, which is why we are dedicated to continually advancing towards more responsible solutions. We strive to implement ongoing improvements that help us comply with EU regulations. In this context, we are committed to implementing the Digital Product Passport and other projects aimed at enhancing product transparency.
Pepe Jeans has been a leader in denim fashion for 50 years, remaining true to its authentic DNA. As part of our evolution and transformation journey, we have enhanced our Pepe Future platform to serve as the framework for our sustainable products. Currently, 89% of our denim is sustainable, with 62% of our adult denim pants either washed using Wiser Wash or rated green through the Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM). Additionally, 88% of our denim incorporates either BCI, recycled fibers, or both.»
Replay
«Firstly we would like to inform you that we do not manufacture, and/or import, any jeans in or from Turkey. Our activities in this territory are limited to the purchase of small quantities of shirts.
That being said, regardless of the country of manufacture, we confirm that maintaining ethical standards throughout our supply chain represents one of our core values and therefore we take any claim concerning the working conditions in manufacturing facilities very seriously.
In order to ensure that the highest standards are met we have implemented a code of conduct that explicitly prohibits exploitation, discrimination, and unsafe working conditions. This forms the basis of all our relationships with our partners with whom we cultivate an active collaboration to enhance transparency and traceability in all stages of the manufacturing process.
In keeping with this, the framework of our policy already incorporates the SA8000 principles, which is a globally recognized standard for ensuring socially responsible practices in the workplace, and we are currently implementing the necessary steps to obtain said certification.
We believe that we have the necessary checks and processes in place in order to ensure compliance with the principles of corporate social and environmental responsibility. Nevertheless, we remain fully committed to upholding and continuously improving the social, environmental, and labor standards within our supply chain and welcome continued dialogue and transparency on this important issue.”
Zalando
Don’t want to comment.