Successful Complaint against Consumer Deception.

Consumer and worker rights organisations are celebrating a historic victory after the giant German retailer Lidl agreed to withdraw public claims that its goods were being produced under fair and decent working conditions. The agreement was reached following a legal challenge, launched by the Consumer Agency Hamburg, with support of the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR).

The legal challenge, launched on April 6th, was based on research, which proved that Bangladesh workers were producing clothing for Lidl in conditions described by workers as “inhumane”.

On April 14th, the retailer, which had previously refused to withdraw the claims, proposed an out of court settlement. The settlement committed them to a cease and desist agreement on claims of global fair working conditions in its advertisements. As part of this, Lidl is no longer allowed to refer to their membership of the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) in their advertising.

Garment workers at various Lidl supply factories in Bangladesh reported appalling working conditions, including excessive, underpaid or unclear pay of overtime, punitive payroll deductions, obstruction of trade union work and discrimination against female workers – all of which not only violates International Labour Standards set out by the International Labour Organisation, but also the BSCI code of conduct, and Lidl’s own commitments.

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