Aydinli Deri, Turkey
On February 21, 2016, the Deriteks trade union in Turkey filed a Third Party Complaint with the FLA regarding the factory Aydinli Deri Konfekslyon San. ve Tic, S.A. located in Istanbul, Turkey. FLA-affiliated company Hugo Boss was actively sourcing from the factory at the time of the complaint.
However, Hugo Boss representatives informed the FLA that their brand had very little production in the factory and had long-standing plans to end commercial relations with the factory. Therefore, Hugo Boss informed the FLA that they would reach out to other brands active in the factory (brands not affiliated with the FLA) in order to urge them to collaborate in addressing issues at the factory. Hugo Boss informed the FLA that it had ceased to contract with Aydinli Deri as of August 2016.
Hugo Boss presented documentation received from Aydinli Deri management refuting the allegation that two union members had been dismissed and subsequently rehired in late 2015. Similarly, the investigation was unable to confirm that the workers who resigned from the union did so under pressure from factory management. Aydinli Deri management restated its commitment to respecting freedom of association and non-discrimination with respect to union members and committed to:
1. Making a statement to all workers and buyers that it respects the right of workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
2. Conducting training of managers and workers on freedom of association. The training is to be conducted by an outside expert with recognized expertise on the subject matter and knowledge of the freedom of association context in Turkey.
Fast Retailing, a company that joined FLA after this investigation was initiated and had a commercial relationship with Aydinli Deri, continued to oversee the implementation of the remediation alongside Hugo Boss from the factory.
June 2024 Update
In 2019, Aydinli Deri’s parent company made the business decision to cease operations, and the factory’s workers were transferred to the parent company’s location in the same city. FLA-affiliated brands, Fast Retailing and Hugo Boss, continued their due diligence efforts and supported this supplier with capacity building and verification efforts to improve workers’ overall knowledge and understanding of freedom of association and other workers’ rights related matters.
The diligent capacity building and verification efforts by Hugo Boss and Fast Retailing helped improve workers’ awareness of freedom of association, collective bargaining, legal rights and responsibilities, and social security benefits. Anonymous worker surveys, grievance channels, and follow-up audits by the two FLA-affiliated brands did not reveal any issues related to freedom of association rights for the transferred workers or the existing workers at the new location. Additionally, there have been no follow-up complaints or communications from the complainant union to the FLA about this case. Therefore, the FLA considers this case closed. The FLA extends its gratitude to both brands for their continuous efforts in verification and coordination with the supplier to resolve this case.