Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo is under fire after Hong Kong-based
non-governmental organization Students and Scholars Against Corporate
Misbehaviour (SACOM) accused their suppliers in China of submitting
employees to harsh working conditions.
The organization previously investigated working conditions at two of the
retailer’s suppliers: Pacific Textile Ltd and Donguang Tomwell Garment Co.
located in China’s Guangdong province, between the months of July and
August of 2014. According to SACOM report, the organization carried out
undercover investigations and conducted over thirty interview with the
factories workers.
The SACOM report’s conclusion: employees work excessive long hours for low
basic wages. In addition they must work in an unsafe and risky working
environment and work under a harsh management style and punishment system
which is unrepresentative of its workers needs.
Fast Retailing, parent company of Uniqlo, was swift in its response to
SACOM report, which was published online earlier this week and undertook
its own investigation of the factories named. “We confirm that,
regrettably, the inspection found several problems including long working
hours,” read the company’s statement.
“On the other hand, while the inspection did not reveal some of the
problems stated in the SACOM report, Fast Retailing and SACOM have
different views on some of the issues described in the report.” Since
releasing it’s initial reaction to SACOM, Uniqlo has taken action against
the two factories.
The fast-fashion retailer has requested that Dongguan Tomwell Garment Co.
and Pacific Textile make certain improvements regulating working hours and
their factories and set up a workers’ union, which is to hold elections and
plan its first assembly in March.
“Respecting human rights and ensuring appropriate working conditions for
the workers of our production partners are top priorities for Fast
Retailing, and in this we are completely aligned with SACOM,” said Yukihiro
Nitta, Fast Retailing Group Executive Officer responsible for CSR.
“Fast Retailing has urged swift action against the factories on the issues
identified in the SACOM report, and we will cooperate fully with them to
ensure that improvements are made. Together with third parties, including
auditors and NGOs, we will check progress within one month,” he added.
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