Company profile: Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun
Headquarters: Bad Zurzach
Country: Switzerland
Founded in: 1886
Total points of sale in Europe: Approx. 232 own stores (strongly increasing)
Owned by: Families Spiesshofer & Braun
Name of CEO: Markus Spiesshofer
Product description: Main brands: Triumph, Sloggi, Valisere, HOM
Countries of production: Morocco, Brazil, China (People's Republic of China), Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Portugal
General remark: n.a.
Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun
Promenadestrasse 24
5330 Zurzach
info(at)triumph.com
Comments CCC and proposas for action
After Triumph was a target of a CCC campaign in 2001, a good dialogue between Triumph and CCC developed. Triumph is very open with CCC regarding its own social commitments. Nevertheless, Triumph failed to provide the majority of requested documentation. In 2007, Triumph employed a CSR manager and began to develop a CSR system. As a member of a multi-stakeholder initiative such as the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), developing this system would be by far much more efficient. According to Triumph, approximately 60 percent of the factories are owned by the company. Triumph reportedly aims to implement its standards throughout the entire supply chain. Triumph has announced that it is working with the European Union dialogue initiative, Euro Works Council. Nevertheless, all of this information is directly from Triumph. What clearly is missing is transparency regarding detailed questions and independent verification. Membership with a verification organization could serve as a remedy to these deficiencies.
Take action: Ask the sales personnel for more company transparency and an independent assessment of the company, such as from the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF). Request products made of organic and fair trade cotton.
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
Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun has responded to the CCC-questionnaire and has provided some additional documents. The company is in dialogue with some NGOs and/or trade unions. 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. Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun provides neither the results of factory audits nor information about verification activities. General targets for future monitoring activities and for improving respect of labour rights in the facilities used are formulated on the basis of social audit outcomes.
Formal commitment to labour standards
Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun has adopted a code of conduct that includes a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but does not require compliance with all relevant local labour laws. The company is formally committed to respecting minimum labour standards in all workplaces where their products are made, in accordance with ILO Core Conventions. These include the right to organise and bargain collectively and prohibit child labour, discrimination, and forced labour. Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun’s code of conduct applies to all workers affected by labour practices for which the company has some measure of responsibility. The code of conduct includes measures to implement the code and monitor labour conditions in the facilities used. Beyond the ILO Core Conventions, the company is committed to workers’ right to earn a wage that meets the basic needs of workers and their families but does not specify that this is within standard working hours and makes no reference to discretionary income. It is therefore not a living wage. There is no mention of overtime as occasional. The company’s code calls for a safe and hygienic environment for the workers who produce its garments and/or sportswear. The company explicitly requires that all workers receive a regular employment contract.
Beyond the labour standards mentioned above, the company code is not precise enough on some specific issues. It does not state its commitment in relation to*:
- The provision of transitional measures that will be in the interest of the child and of her/his family where child labour is found;
- special provisions for workers under 18 years of age (e.g. education, no night work);
- specific steps to encourage decent working conditions in countries where freedom of association and collective bargaining are restricted by law;
- prohibiting the retention by employers of security deposits or identity papers;
- ending the the worst forms of child labour with explicit reference to ILO core-convention 182.
Code implementation and purchasing practices
The code of conduct is translated into most of the languages of the countries the company is sourcing from. There was nothing in the Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun’s to indicate that the company holds training sessions on labour rights issues – either for management or workers at the factories producing its goods. Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun agrees to pay a living wage, but does not document its calculations. Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun 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.
Monitoring and Verification
The company is not a member of any business initiative. There is nothing known to CCC about monitoring results. Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun did not provide any information on corrective steps for the remediation of labour rights violations in its supply chain. The company is not involved in independent verification by a multi-stakeholder approach.
Violations of labour rights and public conflicts
Between 2005 and 2007 there were no public urgent appeals from CCC calling on Triumph International Spiesshofer & Braun to take responsibility for workers’ rights violations in its supply chain.
Recent developments
Triumph International announced in August 2008 that its internally-developed CSR system was about to be implemented within the following months. For 2009, the implementation of systematic CSR instruments and inspections are intended to guarantee that the current international social and working conditions are up to par with today’s standards. Since summer 2008, the CCC is involved in intense dialogue with Triumph after 2000 employees went on strike at a Triumph subsidiary in Thailand after their union president was dismissed. To this day, the conflict is not yet settled.