Fashion Firms Agree to Compensate Garment Workers in Mauritius

Main vogue manufacturers together with Barbour and PVH, which owns Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, have mentioned they are going to pay £400,000 to garment staff in Mauritius after an investigation discovered that migrant staff had been pressured to pay 1000’s of kilos for his or her jobs.

Transparentem, a US-based organisation that investigates staff’ rights, seemed into situations at 5 factories in Mauritius and interviewed 83 staff in 2022 and 2023.

In a just lately printed report, Transparentem claims it discovered a number of indicators of pressured labour, outlined as a type of fashionable slavery by the United Nation’s Worldwide Labour Group. In addition to staff paying unlawful recruitment charges for his or her jobs, it alleges they had been subjected to deception, intimidation and unsanitary residing situations – together with having no entry to scrub consuming water, in addition to cockroach and bedbug infestations.

The 5 factories provide manufacturers together with Boden, Asos and the Foschini Group, which owns Whistles and Hobbs.

After commissioning their very own audits of situations on the factories, vogue manufacturers together with PVH and Barbour have mentioned that they are going to reimburse staff at REAL Clothes, one of many factories named within the report, as much as £400,000 in unlawful recruitment charges.

Ben Skinner, president of Transparentem, mentioned: “Migrant staff confirmed nice braveness in bearing witness by Transparentem. Up to now, solely three manufacturers have proven by their actions that they actually listened to them. The price of reform is excessive. However the price of failure to reform is increased.”

PVH mentioned it was dedicated to making sure migrant staff had been reimbursed for recruitment charges and associated prices.

Barbour mentioned it was taking Transparentem’s findings severely and was working with different manufacturers at REAL Clothes to resolve the scenario as quickly as doable. “As a right away motion, we’ve got made a dedication to contribute in direction of the remediation of impacted staff,” it mentioned.

“We’re additionally increasing our audit processes to make sure that we do all the things doable to stop this taking place sooner or later,” a spokesperson mentioned.

REAL Clothes additionally mentioned it was taking the findings of the investigation severely and had taken motion to treatment the scenario for its staff. “We affirm that every one the remediations together with reimbursement of native transportation charges have been accomplished,” it mentioned.

The Foschini Group mentioned: “We now have investigated this in full and are snug that we’ve got taken applicable motion.”

Asos and Boden didn’t reply to a request for remark.

By Annie Kelly

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