Campaign work for more transparency and more effective controls Textile enterprises have made great progress in the past years in the disclosure of information about their supply chains. These show that we have already achieved a great deal in terms of transparency together with the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). Nevertheless, we need to stay "on the track" of the corporations. After all, fashion companies do not (yet) have to disclose where and under which conditions they produce. Business and politics rely on companies voluntarily complying with criteria that are self-imposed and can be checked by other companies. A provably unsuccessful model - with in some cases lethal consequences. FashionChecker - brings transparency Most companies try to hide lack of progress on human rights in their supply chains with vague promises rather than providing verifiable information. The website Fashion Checker exposes these practices and provides textile workers, activists and consumers with access to up-to-date data from the supply chains of the world's biggest fashion brands. More information: https://fashionchecker.org/ Social audits: Fig leaf of the fashion industry © CCCThe working conditions in supplier factories have been monitored for decades through socalled social audits. However, the results of these audits are not disclosed, which means that it is not possible to verify whether safety deficiencies and human rights violations have been eliminated. Instead of the workers, the audit industry thus protects the image of its customers - the fashion companies. Improving the system requires greater transparency, accountability and effective involvement of trade unions and workers. These are the demands we are addressing to fashion companies. CCC's report "Fig Leaf for Fashion" (pdf-file) ("Fig Leaf for the Fashion Industry: How Social Audits Protect Companies and Abandon Workers") uses case studies to illustrate the shortcomings of social audits, their causes and ways to address them. It also contains recommendations to companies, politicians and other actors. Legal framework for transparency in the apparel industry At present, there is no legal obligation for globally operating companies to disclose their supply chains. Business and politics have so far relied on "voluntary self-commitment" - in other words, on companies voluntarily adhering to certain criteria that they impose on themselves. Without legal regulation, it is impossible to take legal action against the mostly European or American manufacturing companies in the event of violations of corporate due diligence - such as human rights violations or accidents in supplier factories in the global South. Those affected and their relatives are left alone with the damages and follow-up costs. Further information on the German Supply Chain Law Initiative Transparency in the fashion industry © Devi Adamo 2019 Textile companies have made great strides in recent years in the disclosure of information about their supply chains. This can be seen in the report "Fashion's next trend - Accelerating Supply Chain Transparency in the Apparel and Footwear Industry" (pdf-file) published in December 2019 by an alliance of trade unions, human rights groups and labor rights initiatives, including the Clean Clothes Campaign. FEMNET has translated the short version "Transparency in the Fashion Industry" into German. The report is an update of the company survey from 2017. back
