Fair procurement of clothing

A suitable amount of respect

Across all roles at Swiss Post, around 240,000 items of work clothing were worn by 37,000 employees in 2015. 77 items are currently manufactured at 23 production facilities in 12 different countries. Under steadily improving working conditions.

In joining the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) in 2012, Swiss Post took an important step in terms of sustainable procurement. The company regularly reviews the working conditions at each production facility, ensuring, for example, that no child labour is used. What kind of contracts do employees have? Are the emergency exits clear of obstructions? Is a first aid kit available? “There are many aspects that we review,” explains Secil Helg, Project Purchaser for Clothing. “But the effort is worth it.” For example, 99 percent of in-house production is now under supervision, and wages at the factories have risen. And the Leader status attained by Swiss Post in 2014 was confirmed in 2015 with even better results, acknowledging Swiss Post as a particularly responsible company. “With our commitment, we have shown that it is possible to make a difference. In the complex world of the clothing industry, we have introduced high social, ethical and environmental standards within a very short time,” notes Helg on this development. “But it's also clear that we need to keep on improving, because the requirements of the FWF on its members increase from year to year. We're not there yet.”

https://www.post.ch/en/about-us/company/responsibility/responsible-procurement