Final report of a complaint at a factory in Turkey supplying Salewa & Dynafit
The local hotline received three calls on 10,12 and 14 March 2016 after the monitoring audit took place. The complaints came from three separate workers, who are still working in the factory. The first complainant claimed that during the audit the FWF CoLP was on the wall; however, it is no longer hanging on the wall. The second complainant claimed that in the knitting department there was a wage increase; however, for sewing workers there was no wage increase. Also the person has complaints about verbal abuse of line supervisors during overtime hours. The third complainant claimed that overtime work is compulsory. They work until 20.30 on weekdays and they also work on Saturdays.
Through their intermediary, Salewa & Dynafit asked for clarification of the facts and the follow up of this complaint. They asked the supplier to solve the forced overtime and unequal pay rises. Around that time the intermediary of Salewa & Dynafit decided that the relationship with the factory would not last any longer. This was unforeseen for Salewa & Dynafit. The main reason was that the factory was not cooperative in offering follow up to the complaints and the CAP findings. As a result of the factory’s lack of effort to communicate, no remediation took place.
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FWF is pleased to announce that the Vietnamese version of the Fair Wear Formula film is now available online
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Intermediate report of complaint in India at a factory supplying Nudie Jeans – August 2016
Between May 2015 and July 2016, 8 workers were dismissed or terminated by the factory. Six of them approached FWF with a complaint between January and July 2016.
The complainants claim that they were dismissed for small violations such as engaging in verbal conflict with co-workers. They claim that they were unable to defend themselves from the allegations, and that the disciplinary action did not follow formal legal procedures.
They further allege that the real reasons they were dismissed from their job was that they had supposedly engaged in unionisation efforts, or that they frequently refused to work overtime after 18:00.
During investigation, already in January 2016, FWF was unable to reach a conclusion, as management claimed workers left on their own volition. The first complaint was closed, but other workers came forward in July 2016, sharing similar stories.
Upon further investigation in July, a pattern of common issues was found, including lack of legal domestic enquiry and lack of opportunity for workers to defend themselves.
FWF required Nudie Jeans to discuss these and other findings with management, to ensure that all cases are re-assessed and structural findings remediated.
FWF will contact all workers at a later stage to verify whether their cases were re-assessed and solved in a legally compliant manner. FWF will conduct a verification audit in 2017 to assess whether structural remediation steps have been implemented.
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Initial report Complaint tunisia Expresso 2016
On 5 August 2016, a worker employed by a factory where FWF member Expresso is sourcing complained that in spite of having a medical problem and a doctor’s note to substantiate it, she was not allowed to use the toilet as she needed by medical indication. This happened after a change of management. Further, the worker alleges that the new manager harasses her verbally. Finally, the worker said she had been suspended for three days for failing to respect regulations. The worker alleges this happened without a hearing and without her agreement.
After intervention by the labour union, the suspension was reduced to one day.
The case is currently under investigation.
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Final report of complaint at a factory supplying Fristad Kansas & Schijvens in Bangladesh – February 2016
A complainant said she went on approved maternity leave at the end of 2015, and received the first installment of her maternity pay. She lost her child shortly after giving birth. She went back to work, but could not continue working. She informed management her intention to quit. Management responded that if she quit she would not get her second installment of maternity leave pay. The complainant believed that she was entitled to full maternity pay.
Both members contacted the factory management, and received a response on February 15. Management claimed that the worker did not communicate sufficiently through their internal process. Nevertheless, the complaint was solved and no further investigation was needed. The complainant presented her resignation on 14 February. The FWF complaints handler verified that the complainant received her maternity benefits and severance pay according to legal requirements.
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Final REPORT OF COMPLAINT IN Vietnam AT FACTORY THAT SUPPLIES Wolfskin and Schoeffel
Complainants claimed that 11 workers had been expelled because the linemanager found teared trousers. The management then llegedly called a group of 11 workers and forced them to write a ltter of volunary resignation, without explanatin or investigation. The group of workers said they ha not made the mistake. The complainants talked with the Factory Trade Union, but it did not provide a solution. A fourth complainant alleged that her application was rejected because of her family ties to some of the other complainants.
The factory claimed that workers were dismissed because of a policythat allowes it to dismiss workers for damaging products.However, there was no evidence to prove who cut the trousers. Later, after a meeting with the complaints handlers, manager mentioned the workers had been dismissed because they had not checked the products at the end of their working day. Had they done so, they would have found the destroyed trousers. According to management this was internal regulation. However, no record of this policy was found. The factory management later claimed that this was relayed orally to the workers.
FWF found that resignation was not voluntary and that the disciplinary policy cannot be applied as a reason for dismissal because there was no proof of who destroyed the trousers and there is no written policy about checking the products at the end of the day. There was no evidence to substantiate a discrimination claim.
The members engaged with the factory and ensured that workers received dismissal compensation. FWF encouraged the brands to discuss formal disciplinar policy and factory regulation, and ensure it complies with the FWF Code of Labour Practices. The workers, who had hoped to be rehired, were nevertheless grateful for FWF for having received compensation.
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final REPORT OF COMPLAINT IN BANGLADESH AT FACTORY THAT SUPPLIES TAKKO
On 22 September FWF received a complaint through it’s local complaints handler from a worker working for a factory supplying Takko. The case related to the labour standards ‘No discrimination in employment’ and ‘Occupational health and safety (related to violence against women at work)’, which are part of FWF’s Code of Labour Practices.
The complainant claimed that for the last few months she and her colleagues have been harassed by their admin officer. At the time of the complaint, the factory was taking part in a training programme on preventing violence against women. FWF’s complaints handler suggested contacting the anti-harassment committee, using the factory’s internal process to handle the issue. By October 2014 the situation had escalated. The complainant expressed mistrust of the anti-harassment committee.
On 11 November FWF informed Takko Fashion of the situation, and urged the company to contact the FWF country representative. Further FWF discussed the matter with the anti-harassment committee and factory management.
The matter was resolved amicably, with apologies from both sides, partly due to the mediation from the anti-harassment committee. The complainant worked at the factory until June 2015, when she decided to resign due to personal circumstances. In the personnel file of the complainant, a note was found in which management expressed concerned about situations of bad behaviour towards workers.
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INTERMEDIATE REPORT OF COMPLAINT IN Turkey AT FACTORY THAT SUPPLIES hessnatur
In February 2014, three employees of a Turkish supplier of Hess Natur filed a complaint regarding unfair dismissals. The three workers claimed they had been dismissed because of union membership. A verification audit showed that the dismissals were carried out in accordance with the law, and during the workers’ official trial period. At the same time, though, the factory told the auditors that it did not allow union members in its factory. Workers were required to provide management with their ‘e-state’ passwords – through which social security information as well as union membership can be viewed. As this creates a high risk of violations of Freedom of Association and the right to Collective Bargaining, Hessnatur is required, as part of the remediation of this complaint, to ensure that the e-state passwords are no longer collected. In addition, it will engage with its supplier to improve communications internally.
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Final report of complaint in Bangladesh at factory that supplies Takko
On 14 June 2013 FWF received a complaint from a worker working in a factory supplying Takko. The complaint related to the labour standards ‘discrimination in employement’ and ‘safe and healthy working conditions’ that are part of FWF’s Code of Labour Practices.
FWF informed Takko Fashion on 16 June 2013. The factory paid the 1st installment of maternity leave benefit to the complainant on 20 June. The process was supervised by Takko’s local compliance staff. It also promised the affiliate that the 2nd installment will be paid once the worker returns after maternity leave. FWF will monitor the payment of the second installment when the worker returns to the factory.
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Final report of complaint in Bangladesh at factory that supplies Takko
On 29 October 2013 FWF received a complaint of a group of workers who had recently been fired by the factory. The complaints related to the following labour rights that are part of FWF’s Code of Labour Practices: ‘No discrimination’, ‘Safe and healthy working environment’ and ‘Payment of a living wage’.
On 27 October 2013 workers started demonstration against the factory because of high level of abuse, harassment and high risk of fire safety. In addition, the workers did not have legal benefits. In a conflict that arose form this, a number of workers and some management staff were injured. A police case was filed against 98 workers, who were then fired by the factory. The audit found that there were a number of health and safety issues, which have high priority to be fixed. The factory is under the Bangladesh Accord and has promised to share the Accord audit report and remediation plan once it is audited.
Takko organised a meeting for FWF’s liaison officer and the factory owner to discuss the followup. Two top management members who were accused by workers of being abusive have been fired. Also, FWF was requested to implement the Workplace Education Programme at this factory and another factory of the same owner. FWF will help the factory to organise a human resource management training. Factory management will follow up on the corrective action plans of the audit but did not want to reinstate the 98 workers who went on demonstration. The dismissed workers have received compensation.
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