In Serbia, Ukraine, Croatia and Bulgaria, employees are still working for far less than a living wage for German fashion brands including Hugo Boss, Gerry Weber, Esprit, as well as German supermarket and drugstore chains. In spite of the current pandemic, factory managers continue to force workers to report to work despite the high risk of infection of Covid-19 and in contravention of international guidelines...

Currently, even this meagre wage is not paid because apparel companies in Germany are cancelling orders and factories close -- not for the protection of workers, but because there is no work. Employees reported to Clean Clothes Campaign that they are now forced to go on unpaid leave, leaving many already on the poverty line in even more dire circumstances.

“The massive human rights abuses show that voluntary initiatives of brands and retailers are failing..”, says Musiolek... "Governments and the European Union must adopt appropriate legislation for brands and retailers to implement human rights in their global supply chains...”

Clean Clothes Campaign urges brands like Esprit, Gerry Weber and Hugo Boss to engage with suppliers...