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 recently affiliated with the FLA and has a commercial relationship with Aydinli Deri, will continue to oversee the implementation of the remediation plan beyond the exit of Hugo Boss from the factory.  The complete final report appears below.