a Lot of companies failed in human rights. Industry associations try to prevent binding rules.

The working conditions of their suppliers are mostly unclear photo: Thomas Imo/photothek/imago

BERLIN taz | German companies are being checked to ensure that they respect human rights in their foreign factories. Economic associations such as the BDI are now trying to delay the process, even to the possible consequence of a supply chain to push the law of the Federal government, on the long Bank.

in The opinion of the associations of industry (BDI), employers (BDA), chambers of Commerce (DIHK) and trade (HDE) is this newspaper. It says that in the National action plan business and human rights, the government specified "the period until the end of 2020" should be exploited to the full. The Review of the company should not "be in the first quarter, and in June of 2020" started.

In the action plan is defined, for instance, that local companies not to worry about the safety of supplier factories in Pakistan, even if they belong to you.Whether the companies meet the requirements, leaves the government with a voluntary survey study. The result of the first round was bad. Now the second round of consultation follows.

this, in turn, to negative results, want to be Minister of labour, Hubertus Heil (SPD) and development Minister Gerd Müller (CSU), the companies with supply chains in-law to commit to. The time plan of the government envisages that the final report on the surveys up to June 2020 is ready. Until the next regular parliamentary election in 2021, the law could pass the Bundestag.

"the BDI and the BDA are trying to torpedo the clearly agreed process of delays and Inventing new standards," said Frank Schwabe, SPD Deputy in the Bundestag. Among other things, economy Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU), he accused to be "on leash" of trade associations lead.

In the plenary of the Bundestag held a debate on Thursday on the topic. Base applications of the green deputies, Uwe Kekeritz. This is also for a supply chain law. He also wants to toughen the liability of certification companies such as TÜV.

This is criticized, because he issued a false certification about the safety of the Bergbausee dam of Brumadinho, Brazil. The dam broke, the Flood, hundreds of people died. "Also certification companies ensure that the environment will be destroyed and human rights violated", so Kekeritz.