Response by OTTO
The Otto Group works with factories in Bulgaria and other countries in Eastern Europe and, as in all production countries, pays close attention to compliance with social and environmental standards in accordance with its own and international standards.
Since the case studies listed in the Clean Clothes Campaign publication ‘Exploitation made in Eastern Europe’ do not refer to the Otto Group, we do not comment on them in detail.
In general, however, we would like to stress that the issue of living wages, which is raised in the report is also of great concern to us. The Otto Group supports the demand for living wages, but we as a company cannot tackle this issue alone. In order to achieve an improvement, it is essential to join forces with other companies in the context of initiatives and policy – here and on the ground – trade unions and civil society, in order to change the framework conditions that apply to all. We have pushed this approach in the past and will continue to do so...
In order to drive change on the ground, the Otto Group has also been supporting factories as part of its own training programme 'EMPact Social' for more than six years. In interactive working groups, among other things, fair wages are also part of the trainings.
In addition, as a member of amfori BSCI, we support their statement...
[full response attached]