Company profile: Blackout
Headquarters: Oensingen
Country: Switzerland
Founded in: 1963
Total points of sale in Europe: 66
Owned by: Gerald Metzler
Name of CEO: Gerald Metzler
Product description: n.a.
Countries of production: n.a.
General remark: n.a.
Blackout
Eichengasse 3
4702 Oensingen
admin(at)blackout.ch
Comment from CCC and proposals for action
Blackout did not fill out the questionnaire. Due to a lack of transparency from Blackout, we fear that the working conditions in the factories that produce for them could be very poor.
Take action: Reconsider your purchase with Blackout when fairly-manufactured fashion is important to you, including a company commitment to decent working conditions and high environmental standards along the entire production chain. Let Blackout know about your purchasing decision and encourage the company to join the FWF
The following evaluation of the company’s performance in terms of transparency, code implementation and monitoring of labour standards is based on the company’s response to the questionnaire from the CCC and on an additional desk study conducted by the CCC in 2007. In the section “Recent developments” you can find additional information gathered after 2007.
Transparency
Blackout answered that it did not wish to respond to the CCC questionnaire. There is no evidence that the company engages with civil society on corporate accountability issues. The company lacks transparency with regard to turnover, profits, sales and corporate structure. The amount of salaries of the top management is not known. The information given about producer countries and the structure of the supply chain is not comprehensive. There is no sustainability report available. Blackout provides neither the results of factory audits nor information about verification activities. The company does not disclose general targets for future monitoring activities.
Formal commitment to labour standards
Blackout doesn't commit in a public document to respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the national law. The company has not adopted a code of conduct. Beyond the ILO Core Conventions, the company is neither committed to wages in accordance with living wage principles nor with minimum wage legislation. There are no restrictions on the number of working hours per week. No mention is made of a safe and hygienic environment for the workers who produce the company’s garments and/or sportswear. The company does not explicitly require that all workers receive a regular employment contract. *
Code implementation and purchasing practices
Blackout did not indicate the steps it is taking to effectively implement minimum labour standards in its supply chain. There is no evidence that training on labour rights issues is promoted by Blackout . According to the information given Blackout has no intention to implement the payment of living wages to workers. Blackout has not shown that it is aware of the fact that part of its production sites are located in countries or zones where freedom of association is not guaranteed by law. There are no provisions to give buyers positive incentives to reward better working conditions. There are no measures that show how to improve planning and prevent excessive overtime.
Monitoring and Verification
The company is not a member of any business initiative. There is nothing known to CCC about monitoring results. The company is not involved in independent verification by a multi-stakeholder approach.
Violations of labour rights and public conflicts
There are no public urgent appeals from CCC calling on Blackout to take responsibility for workers’ rights violations in its supply chain.
Recent developments
Blackout has since shared that they have participated in four meetings with the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) in the last three years. In July 2008 the company announced that a one-year application phase with the FWF is planned. The CCC views this as a positive sign. Nevertheless, only when the company is formally part of the FWF would Blackout truly demonstrate that it is serious about changing its business practices – a step that is yet to be taken. Currently, due to a lack of transparency based on the missing questionnaire the CCC unfortunately can only classify the company as ignorant.´