Yves Rocher faces trial over alleged worker rights abuses in Turkey
The Paris Judicial Court recently convened to address serious allegations of a potential breach in the duty of vigilance by the Yves Rocher cosmetics group. The French beauty giant faces legal action over alleged failures by one of its Turkish subcontractors to uphold workers' rights, bringing its parent company, the Rocher group, under scrutiny for its oversight of international operations.
The core of the accusation, brought forth by the associations Sherpa and ActionAid France, the trade union Petrol-İş, and 81 former Turkish employees, centers on Yves Rocher's alleged shortcomings in its duty of vigilance concerning Kosan Kozmetik, its Turkish subsidiary until 2024. The lawsuit details claims of "repression of trade union activity, gender discrimination and harm to employees’ health and safety." These allegations are bolstered by descriptions of "constant pressure," "repeated workplace accidents," and "systemic discrimination against women" endured by the subsidiary's employees.
Central to the legal proceedings is France's duty of vigilance law, enacted in March 2017. This legislation mandates that large French companies, including those with foreign operations, must publish vigilance plans. These plans are designed to prevent significant risks associated with their activities, particularly those involving serious infringements of human rights and fundamental freedoms. François Lafforgue, the lawyer representing the accusing associations, asserted that the Rocher group "could not have been unaware" of the issues. He further argued that the group's publication of its vigilance plan in 2020 serves as proof that such a plan did not exist prior to that year, thus indicating non-compliance with the 2017 law.
Conversely, Olivier Attias, representing the Rocher group, presented a defense that emphasized the evolving legal landscape. He argued that "you have to look at the context at the time," suggesting that until 2020, companies operated in "something of a grey area on these issues." While conceding that the Rocher group only formally published its vigilance plan in 2020, Attias maintained that the plans "had been drawn up" earlier, asserting that this fact is not disputed, "otherwise there would have been complaints of forgery." He also contended that it was "not possible, as early as 2017, to have a precise snapshot" of the entire value chain across all the group’s subsidiaries.
Attias further elaborated that the Rocher group had intended "to gradually extend the vigilance plan." He stressed that as soon as Yves Rocher "became aware of the difficulties" in Turkey, the company "put things right, with a number of measures very similar to those recommended under the duty of vigilance." The court has reserved its decision, which is anticipated to be handed down on March 12, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the enforcement of France's duty of vigilance law.
