Fresh pressure is mounting on HUGO BOSS after labour rights groups accused the fashion brand of stepping back from one of the most robust safety frameworks in the global garment industry.
Campaigners from Labour Behind the Label and the Rana Plaza Solidarity Collective have called on the company to urgently rejoin the Pakistan Accord. They argue that its withdrawal risks weakening protections for thousands of workers across supplier factories.
The call was marked by a protest outside a London store. The timing was deliberate. It coincided with the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory disaster, where 1,138 people lost their lives and more than 2,500 were injured. Many were young women working long hours in unsafe conditions.
More than a decade on, the scale of the global garment workforce remains vast. Around 75 million people are employed in the sector worldwide. Roughly 75 per cent are women. A significant proportion work in South Asia, where safety standards can vary sharply between factories.
Why the Pakistan Accord matters
The Accord system was created in the aftermath of repeated industrial disasters, including the Ali Enterprises factory fire in Pakistan, which killed 260 workers and injured more than 50 others. It introduced something rare in the fashion industry. Legally binding commitments.
Unlike traditional auditing systems, the Accord relies on independent inspections. It also requires brands to fund safety improvements and ensure remediation. That combination has been widely credited with tangible results.
Since its introduction, tens of thousands of factory inspections have been carried out in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to campaign groups, over 90 per cent of identified safety hazards in covered factories have been addressed or are in the process of being fixed. Fire doors installed. Electrical systems upgraded. Emergency exits cleared.
Progress, however, is uneven. And incomplete.
Concerns over ongoing risks
Campaigners say recent Accord inspections in HUGO BOSS-linked factories in Pakistan identified persistent issues. Blocked exits. Poor fire safety. Inadequate escape routes.
These are not minor faults. In past disasters, they proved fatal.
Anna Bryher of Labour Behind the Label said the decision to leave the Accord sends the wrong signal at a critical time. She argues that voluntary systems, often used by brands as an alternative, have repeatedly failed to prevent serious safety breaches.
There is data to support that concern. Prior to Rana Plaza, many of the factories involved had passed standard social audits. Yet structural cracks and unsafe conditions were overlooked or ignored.
Critics say this highlights a core weakness. Audits can be inconsistent. They are often paid for by the brands themselves. And they rarely carry legal consequences.
Voices from Pakistan
Concerns are not limited to campaigners in Europe. Trade union leaders in Pakistan have also raised alarm.
Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation described a pattern of negligence that continues to affect workers on the ground. He pointed to overcrowded factories, weak enforcement of safety rules, and limited worker representation.
For many workers, the risks are immediate. Long shifts. Low pay. Limited protections. In some cases, locked doors, and unsafe buildings.
The International Labour Organization estimates that nearly 3 million people die each year globally from work-related accidents and diseases. While not all are in the garment sector, the figure underlines the broader scale of workplace safety challenges.
A wider industry debate
HUGO BOSS has suggested that alternative approaches, including in-house monitoring and broader multi-stakeholder initiatives, can deliver similar outcomes. Campaigners strongly dispute this.
They argue that without legally binding obligations, improvements depend largely on corporate goodwill. And goodwill, they say, can change.
This disagreement reflects a wider debate within the fashion industry. Should safety be enforced through binding agreements, or managed through voluntary commitments?
Many major brands remain signatories to Accord-style programmes. Others have chosen different paths.
The consequences of those choices are still playing out.
Growing pressure
The protest in London is unlikely to be the last. Campaigners have already signalled further demonstrations in Belgium and Germany. The aim is to keep the issue in the public eye.
For Hugo Boss, the challenge is both reputational and ethical. Consumers are increasingly aware of supply chain conditions. Investors are paying closer attention too.
The memory of Rana Plaza is still at the forefront. It reshaped the industry once. Campaigners warn it should not take another tragedy to do so again.
For now, the demand is clear. Rejoin the Accord. Fix the risks. And ensure that the people making the clothes are not the ones paying the highest price.
HUGO BOSS’ statement on the issue
HUGO BOSS is firmly committed to respecting human rights and ensuring safe working conditions across our entire value chain.
Following a thorough internal review, we have decided not to continue our participation in the Pakistan Accord. Regardless of this decision, we will of course continue to consistently meet our due diligence obligations in Pakistan. To this end, we work closely with our partners and carry out targeted human rights assessments as well as social compliance audits. In addition, further monitoring is conducted through our accredited membership in the Fair Labor Association (FLA).
In case we identify deviations from or violations of our own high standards – which are ultimately aligned with internationally recognized benchmarks such as those of the International Labour Organization (ILO) – we address them in a focused and dedicated manner. Our aim is to ensure compliance with our required standards in close cooperation with our partners.
Our engagement in the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, as well as in the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, has been ongoing since 2016 and will continue unchanged.
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