Workers Rights news and archive

Shein pledges 15 million dollars to upgrade supply chain factories

Fast fashion e-tailer Shein has said it plans to spend 15 million dollars on upgrading the hundreds of factories in its supply chain over the next three to four years. In a release, the controversial retailer said the investment would focus on physical enhancements to suppliers’ factories as part of its Supplier Community Empower Programme...

Dec 5, 2022

Fashion Featured

Boohoo responds to fresh reports of poor warehouse working conditions

Fast fashion giant Boohoo has once again found itself responding to reports of poor working conditions at one of its UK warehouses. Workers at the group’s site in Burnley, Lancashire say they work like “slaves” and are subjected to racism, sexual harassment, and ill-fitting safety equipment, according to an undercover investigation by The Times...

Nov 24, 2022

Business

Marks & Spencer to stop sourcing from Myanmar over human rights concerns

British retailer Marks & Spencer has said it will stop sourcing from Myanmar over concerns of human rights abuses in the country. The company said it is working towards a “responsible exit” from the country, and plans to have completely exited by March 2023. “At Marks & Spencer, ethical trading is core to the way we do business,” the retailer...

Oct 12, 2022

BusinessFeatured

Garment workers disclose worsening human rights issues in new report

A new report by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHHRC) has highlighted allegations of union-busting and human rights abuses against garment workers at the suppliers of a number of global fashion retailers. As part of the report, the organisation interviewed 24 trade union leaders and surveyed 124 union activists and labour activists...

Oct 11, 2022

Business

MP fears garment workers in Leicester may be exposed to abuse under changed regulations

Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe has expressed her concerns towards the city’s garment industry after Treasury minister Chris Philip suggested the government was planning to scrap regulations for businesses with fewer than 500 employees. During an event for the Taxpayers’ Alliance, Philip said that the UK government “will be reducing business...

Oct 6, 2022

Business

Amazon raises pay for US front-line employees in one billion dollar investment

Amazon has announced a pay increase for its US front-line employees as part of a one billion dollar investment over the next year. According to the marketplace, the average starting pay for related employees in customer fulfilment and transportation will increase from 18 dollars per hour to more than 19 dollars per hour. Alongside the pay rise,...

Sep 29, 2022

Business

European Commission proposes to ban products made under forced labour

The European Commission has revealed a proposal that could see products made with forced labour prohibited from entering the EU market. If approved, national authorities will be able to withdraw relevant products made for both domestic consumption and exports or imports following an investigation. EU members will have to implement the...

Sep 19, 2022

Business

Primark to halt sourcing in Myanmar

Fast fashion retailer Primark has announced that, in light of the unfolding situation in Myanmar, which is currently under military regime after a coup last year, it will be making a “responsible exit” from the country. Its decision follows the Ethical Trade Initiative’s (ETI) independent assessment of human rights and responsible business...

Sep 19, 2022

Business

ETI urges brands to consider cutting ties with Myanmar suppliers amid army coup

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) has urged fashion retailers to reconsider their connections with suppliers in Myanmar, a country which has been under political turmoil since its army’s coup against the government in February 2021. The situation has brought up concerns of whether the country can meet the international standards of workers’...

Sep 13, 2022

Business

Levi’s targeted by watchdog Remake over alleged human rights violations

Denim brand Levi’s has increasingly become the subject of a campaign by global advocacy organisation Remake highlighting the retailer’s apparent lack of support for the Accord on Health and Safety. The watchdog, which centres its efforts around fighting for fair pay and climate justice in the clothing industry, has taken to social media to...

Sep 12, 2022

Business

Nike shareholders told to vote against proposal to halt sourcing from China

Nike shareholders have been asked to reject a proposal that would stop the sportswear brand from sourcing its goods and raw materials from China. The proposal was put forward by the label’s activist shareholders Domini Impact Investments and Vancity Investment Management and comes amid accumulating allegations of forced labour and human rights...

Sep 12, 2022

Business

Brands accused of still blocking worker safety improvements 10 years after Ali Enterprises fire in Pakistan

In a press release on the tenth anniversary of the devastating fire at Ali Enterprises in Pakistan that killed 250 people, international NGO Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has accused the textile industry of not doing enough to improve standards despite numerous accidents, some of them fatal, in Pakistan's textile factories. In particular, fashion...

Sep 9, 2022