The report “Beyond the Pilot: Lessons for Building Resilient Cross-Company Grievance Systems”, published by Fundación Avina, ProDESC, Centro de Derechos Humanos, Germanwatch, INKOTA-netzwerk, and WEED, analyzes the cross-company grievance mechanism of the German automotive sector in Mexico, launched in 2024 as part of the so-called Automotive Dialogue.

The system was jointly developed by German automotive companies, civil society organizations, and trade unions, with the aim of enabling workers and affected communities in supply chains to file complaints and access remedy.

During the pilot phase, companies linked to the German automotive industry participated, including major actors such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, which were consulted for this report and had the opportunity to comment on its findings.

The report acknowledges that the mechanism generated initial progress but concludes that it failed to consolidate as a sustainable system, due both to design shortcomings and a lack of sustained commitment from key stakeholders.