Ikea to address claims it benefited from forced labour in communist East Germany
by The Associated Press
Examines allegations Swedish furniture maker used East German suppliers who employed prisoners
BERLIN—Swedish furniture giant Ikea says it will release a report in mid-November addressing claims that it benefited from forced labour in communist East Germany.
The report by auditors Ernst & Young examines allegations that Ikea used East German suppliers who employed prisoners to manufacture goods for its stores from the 1960s to 1980s.
It was commissioned after a Swedish television documentary in June repeated claims first aired in Germany last year.
The head of a victims’ group says he hopes the report will be the start of a broader investigation into forced labour in East Germany.
Rainer Wagner told The Associated Press the claims about Ikea are “only the tip of the iceberg,” and similar allegations have been levelled against German companies, too.
