Company profile: Strellson
Headquarters: Kreuzlingen
Country: Switzerland
Founded in: 1984
Total points of sale in Europe: 1200
Owned by: Reiner Pichler
Name of CEO: Reiner Pichler
Product description: n.a.
Countries of production: n.a.
General remark: n.a.
Strellson
Sonnenwiesenstrasse 21
8280 Kreuzlingen
r.pichler(at)strellson.com
Comment from CCC and proposals for action
Strellson maintains that it wants to take responsibility for “a humane development of working conditions and the environment.” Due to missing transparency; however, we fear that this is an empty promise and that the working conditions in the factories that produce for Strellson could be very poor. Allegedly the customers are able to see the working conditions for themselves by visiting the production facilities. It is questionable, though, whether interested customers can actually see a factory since the locations are not published.
Take action: Express your misgivings to the sales personnel at Strellson about the BSCI membership as well as your desire for independent verification standards. In each branch, ask for products produced from fair trade or organic-certified cotton.
Due to the lack of response by Strellson to the CCC questionnaire, the following evaluation of the company’s corporate accountability policy is entirely based on a desk study conducted by the CCC in 2007. In the section “Recent developments” you can find additional information gathered after 2007.
Transparency
Strellson has not responded to CCC’s request for information on its corporate accountability policy. 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. The company does not disclose general targets for future monitoring activities.
Formal commitment to labour standards
Strellson has adopted a code of conduct that requires compliance with all relevant local labour laws, but does not indicate that where local and international standards are at variance the higher standard should prevail. The code does not include a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The code of conduct does not include all provisions from the ILO Core Conventions. These include the right to organise, bargain collectively and prohibit child labour, discrimination, and forced labour. Strellson’s code of conduct does not apply to all workers affected by labour practices for which the company has some measure of responsibility. Beyond the ILO Core Conventions, the company is neither committed to wages in accordance with living wage principles nor with legal minimum wage legislation. Working hours are restricted, but there is no mention of overtime as occasional. The company does not explicitly require 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;
- guaranteeing a living wage during regular working hours without overtime.
- prohibiting physical abuse, threats of physical abuse, unusual punishments or discipline, sexual and other forms of harassment as well as intimidation by the employer.
- ending the the worst forms of child labour with explicit reference to ILO core-convention 182.
Code implementation and purchasing practices
Strellson did not indicate the steps it is taking to effectively implement minimum labour standards in its supply chain. The company has not disclosed whether its code of conduct has been translated into the languages of any of the countries it is sourcing from. According to the information given Strellson has no intention to implement the payment of living wages to workers. Strellson 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 Strellson to take responsibility for workers’ rights violations in its supply chain.
Recent developments
Strellson has been a member of BSCI since January 2008 – and its previous code of conduct must be adapted to BSCI guidelines. Strellson has announced that two businesses in high-risk countries have been BSCI and SA8000 audited. The remainder of the businesses should be audited by the end of 2008. BSCI is a risk-oriented business initiative that places the company’s reputation at the forefront. Although joining BSCI can be seen a meaningful first step, it alone is not a sufficient instrument to solve the central problems of the workers in the textile chain.