Bangladesh is a strategic sourcing country for Oberalp. We have developed stable and long-standing partnerships through commitment to responsible purchasing practices and permanent support for improvements in working conditions in the factories that make our brands’ products.

For Oberalp, fair wages are a fundamental component of decent work. For more than a decade, we have actively collaborated with our suppliers and industry partners to promote continuous wage improvements and contribute to the long-term goal of achieving living wages in our supply chain. We support the regular revision of statutory minimum wages in Bangladesh to ensure they remain aligned with workers’ needs and economic realities. In this context, Oberalp supports the call for a new minimum wage of Tk 32,000 per month, which we believe represents an important step towards improving the well-being of garment workers and their families.

We reaffirm our intention to maintain our long-term relationships with our partner factories in Bangladesh. We have no intention of reducing our sourcing activities in the country and will continue to honour our commitments after the increase of minimum wages, including maintaining current and planned orders. 

We receive regular updates from our Quality Control Staff on the ground and our suppliers. They are following developments in wage legislation and fully aware that wage levels are expected to increase soon. Following the publication of a revised minimum wage, we expect them to fully comply with all applicable legal requirements and update their wage structures accordingly, as they have done in the past. On our part, once new wage levels are officially announced, we will seek confirmation of their immediate implementation in our supply chain. 

Last, in the current context of unrest and high tensions, Oberalp continues to respect and promote workers’ rights within the scope of our Human Rights Due Diligence activities. Thus, we are in close contact with our partner suppliers to ensure that worker safety remains the highest priority. We have also reiterated the importance of maintaining open communication channels in factories for wage negotiations and averting safety risks, supporting effective worker participation and collective bargaining mechanisms, and respecting workers’ fundamental freedoms and rights.