FLA board terminates affiliation of participating supplier Hey Tekstil

On December 31, 2012, the Fair Labor Association Board of Directors unanimously voted to terminate the participation of Hey Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (“Hey Tekstil”) in the Fair Labor Association as a Participating Supplier.  The decision comes as a result of the company’s ongoing non-compliance with the FLA Code of Conduct and related standards. 

Hey Tekstil was placed on Special Review by the FLA Board on July 24, 2012, following the permanent shutdown of six Hey Tekstil factories and suspension of operations at a seventh.  Hey Tekstil employed about 4,000 workers when the company joined FLA as a Participating Supplier in September 2010.  When the shutdowns occurred, roughly in the first quarter of 2012, company-wide employment was under 2,000 workers. At the time of the retrenchment, 2,038 workers were owed 4.7 million euro in back wages and unpaid severance benefits they were due under Turkish law.

The FLA Board called on Hey Tekstil to meet wage and severance obligations owed to all its workers and make good faith efforts during the Special Review period to reopen the factory where operations were suspended.

“The FLA Board was hopeful that during the review period, Hey Tekstil would be able to meet its obligations to workers,” said Kitty Higgins, Chair of the FLA Board of Directors. “FLA made use of its best offices during this period to support Hey Tekstil’s efforts but, regrettably, the supplier has not effectively addressed these pressing issues.”

Termination of Hey Tekstil as a Participating Supplier in FLA is effective immediately.

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About the Fair Labor Association: The FLA combines the efforts of socially responsible companies, civil society organizations and colleges and universities to protect workers’ rights and improve working conditions worldwide by promoting adherence to international labor standards. The FLA holds companies accountable for monitoring their own supply chains and conducts independent assessments to ensure that the FLA Code of Conduct is upheld. The FLA also acts on and resolves third party complaints and special investigations about workers’ rights abuses at specific factories. Through public reporting, the FLA provides consumers with credible information to make responsible buying decision. FLA is governed by a 19-member Board of Directors that includes an independent Chair and eighteen members equally representing leading universities, labor and human rights organizations, and companies.