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22 January, 2026Trade union representatives from key Adidas supplier countries met in Indonesia on 14–15 January for talks focused on labour standards, collective bargaining and conditions along the company’s global supply chain.
Around 30 union representatives from Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Myanmar, alongside a delegation from German union IGBCE, gathered in Tangerang, Indonesia, to strengthen coordination between unions in Adidas production countries and gain clearer insight into how labour standards are applied across the supply chain.
The meeting took place against growing concern over Adidas’ approach to collective bargaining. In Germany, the company withdrew from sectoral collective bargaining on 1 September 2025, a move unions describe as unexpected and damaging to long-standing social partnership arrangements.
Addressing the meeting, IGBCE executive board member Alexander Bercht said Adidas had previously been covered by collective agreements for the shoe and sporting goods industry. He told delegates that repeated efforts to persuade the company to return to collective bargaining had failed and that management had not responded to demands to begin negotiations on a domestic agreement.
The decision in Germany has been closely watched by union representatives in Asia. Delegates raised concerns about working conditions in their home countries, citing limited worker protections, pressure on supplier companies and obstacles to raising complaints. Several warned that developments in Germany risk sending a negative signal throughout the supply chain.
“The issue of collective bargaining at Adidas plays a huge role around the world,”
Bercht said, noting that decisions taken at headquarters often shape labour relations far beyond Europe.
Ahead of the meeting, IndustriALL Global Union raised its concerns directly with Adidas management. In a letter to chief executive Bjørn Gulden, IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie called on the company to restore its collective bargaining commitments in Germany and uphold international labour standards across its operations. IndustriALL has also urged Adidas to join the ACT initiative, which promotes living wages and collective bargaining in the garment and footwear industry. While brands including C&A, H&M, Inditex and Zalando are signatories, Adidas has so far declined to participate.
Delegates also raised concerns about Adidas’ continued sourcing from Myanmar, where a military junta seized power in 2021. Union representatives cited the case of supplier Pou Chen and warned that freedom of association is not possible under current conditions, increasing risks for workers.
To strengthen long-term oversight of labour rights, wages and environmental standards, unions agreed to establish an international Adidas network under the umbrella of IndustriALL. The network aims to improve information sharing, strengthen organizing across borders and increase pressure on the company to engage in meaningful social dialogue.
“This meeting and the establishment of a global union network mark an important step in linking disputes over collective bargaining in Germany with the realities faced by workers throughout Adidas’ global supply chain,”
said Christian Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile and garment director.
“Bringing workers together across borders shows the strength of union solidarity.”