The Federal government wants to bring a law, the company undertakes in the case of foreign transactions, observe human rights. The economy is anything other than thrilled.

of The Plan by the Federal government company to undertake the case of foreign transactions, if necessary, by law, to the observance of human rights, bringing the German economy to the barricades. Of this “nonsense” had to say goodbye to the government, requires employers President Ingo Kramer of the “Rheinische Post”.

“Here is a fact, is required of impossibility of performance of the entrepreneurs: they should personally said for something, you can’t influence personally in our globalized world”, in Kramer.

There, where he would have as an entrepreneur to personally influence the production abroad, feel it “, of course, obliged” to let to social and environmental Standards, and that is so Kramer. “But not where I can not influence, or as a medium-sized company, not even you can overlook. This is absurd.”

employers ‘ President Ingo Kramer holds the plans of the Federal government for “absurd”

Minister of labour, defended the plans

the Background is the so-called “National action plan on business and human rights”. The 2016 adopted by the Federal government Plan calls for the companies to human rights due diligence in the international chain of delivery, initially only on the Basis of voluntary self-commitments.

, However, had agreed to the Union and the SPD in the coalition agreement, “to the law,” if by 2020 at least half of the large companies pays on a voluntary basis the observance of human rights.

Minister of labour, Hubertus Heil, defended the plans. German companies would have to ensure that the products they sell, humane working conditions, he said the “Rheinische Post”. So had to be excluded, for example, child labour and forced labour.

“If we find out after the investigation in the next year, less than 50 percent of the larger German companies, delivery to the social Standards of the sustainable necklaces keep, we want to impose the law,” announced the healing.

He can see in good company: If the commitment does not apply, the statutory scheme, “an important concern of the Federal foreign Minister, the development Minister and the Minister of justice”.