The textile industry's supply chain is extremely complex and presents many challenges - both environmental and social. We place high demands on the quality of our products. We select materials carefully and attach great importance to their high-quality processing. At the same time, it is important to us that our products are manufactured under humane conditions. We have developed a Code of Conduct for cooperation with our suppliers, which includes the most important international guidelines and agreements on human rights, occupational health and safety and fairness in the supply chain, including the ban on child labor, safe workplaces, the right to freedom of association and living wages. To strengthen our influence in this area, we are a member of amfori BSCI and the Fair Wear Foundation.
FAIR WEAR FOUNDATION - WE ARE LEADERS
In 2020, we joined the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), one of the leading international initiatives to improve working conditions in textile factories in Asia, Europe and Africa. The independent multi-stakeholder initiative works with clothing brands and factories as well as NGOs, trade unions and governments, applying the highest standards in the textile supply chain. By joining the FWF, we commit to an annual review by the initiative and to regular audits at our production facilities. In 2023, we were awarded the highest distinction, Fair Wear "Leader Status", in the Brand Performance Check. This stands for concrete improvements to social standards in our supply chain.
FAIR WEAR FOUNDATION - WE ARE LEADERS
In 2020, we joined the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), one of the leading international initiatives to improve working conditions in textile factories in Asia, Europe and Africa. The independent multi-stakeholder initiative works with clothing brands and factories as well as NGOs, trade unions and governments, applying the highest standards in the textile supply chain. By joining the FWF, we commit to an annual review by the initiative and to regular audits at our production facilities. In 2023, we were awarded the highest distinction, Fair Wear "Leader Status", in the Brand Performance Check. This stands for concrete improvements to social standards in our supply chain.
Compliance with the Code of Conduct is monitored and evaluated on the basis of external audits. When conducting the audits, our suppliers are checked for social criteria such as the prohibition of child and forced labor, occupational health and safety, protection against discrimination, the right to freedom of association and appropriate working hours and remuneration. We predominantly initiate BSCI audits. As part of our Fair Wear membership, we are constantly expanding the number of FWF audits. In doing so, we want to cover both strategically important suppliers and suppliers in high-risk countries in order to gain a more transparent insight into the risks of the first stage of our supply chain and to support suppliers in their further development accordingly.
AUDITS
Based on the audit report, suppliers must draw up improvement plans and we continuously monitor their implementation. Our CSR team also regularly travels to our suppliers for this purpose.
TRAININGS
In addition to audits, training is also an important preventative measure. As part of our Fair Wear membership, we have provided training on the Fair Wear Code of Labor Practice and the grievance mechanism as well as training on gender-based violence and harassment to strategic partners since the beginning.
THE FAIR WEAR FOUNDATION COMPLAINTS MECHANISM
The Fair Wear Foundation offers its members a special complaints procedure, which is one of the leading complaints procedures in the industry. This can be used by both factory workers and NGOs to report violations of the Code of Labor Practices in the factories. Since joining in September 2020, we have gradually introduced the grievance mechanism in our supply chain and posted information sheets with contact details for workers in clearly visible locations in our suppliers' factories. Workers can use this information to contact a local Fair Wear representative in their language, anonymously if they wish. Fair Wear uses a transparent process for communicating and handling complaints. The complaints we receive also give us a more detailed insight into our supply chain and a direct opportunity to advocate for improvements.
TRANSPARENCY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN
The question of where and under what conditions our products are manufactured is one of the most important issues of our time. To improve transparency in our supply chain and ensure the traceability of our products, we entered into a partnership with the blockchain-based platform Retraced in 2022. This platform enables us to manage and communicate evidence and certificates that prove the origin of the materials and their more sustainable production. Our aim is to achieve full transparency down to the raw materials. We attach great importance to long-term cooperation with all our suppliers. It is important to us to work with partner companies that share and implement our requirements for working conditions and product safety.