IKEA Apologizes for Having Used Political Prisoners’ Labor in East Germany
The sign of an IKEA furniture store is seen in Berlin, November 16, 2012. The Swedish furniture maker presented on Friday a study produced by professional service firm Ernst and Young that investigates whether political prisoners were used under inhumane conditions in the production of of its productions on the territory of former East Germany. REUTERS/Thomas Peter (GERMANY – Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS)
After conducting an internal investigation, the Swedish furniture giant IKEA said Friday it “deeply regrets” that some of its suppliers in the 1980″²s used the labor of political prisoners in East Germany.
Apparently, this practice happened right up until the fall of the Berlin wall, in 1989.
The BBC’s Stephen Evans in Berlin said Germans have known for decades that East Germany used political prisoners for manufacturing goods.
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!