In a new study, the organization Inkota examined the possibilities for complaints in the supply chain of shoe and leather production in India. The focus was primarily on the two regions of Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The study also aimed to monitor companies’ compliance with the transparency obligations of the Supply Chain Act by taking part in a survey among employees in the Indian regions. A total of 211 workers were asked who work for companies such as Zara, Bata, Bugatti, Clarks, Deichmann, Ecco or Mango or Xero Shoes.
The result: There is still a lot of confusion among the employees surveyed about the processes of the complaints mechanism. Not only is it still not transparent how complaints can be submitted, but potential consequences are also feared. Those surveyed were afraid of losing their job (73%), their wages (21%) or their social benefits (20%). Some people also question the sense of such a mechanism, since, according to Inkota, part of it is based on a process that is already manipulated.
“With the results of this study, we would like to enter into dialogue with the actors in the value chain and discuss the implementation of effective complaint systems in Indo-German supply chains in the leather and shoe industry,” says the development policy organization.
