Primark has confirmed it is suspending sourcing with several of its supplier factories in Bangladesh following allegations that workers’ contracts were terminated unfairly.
Earlier this year a petition from campaign group Labour Behind the Label alleged 427 workers at Primark suppliers in Bangladesh had lost their jobs following “peaceful protests to dispute the sub-poverty minimum wage which is being paid in Bangladesh.” It added 382 of the workers were facing false legal charges bought by factory owners, and were unable to find other jobs due to systematic blacklisting.
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Primark, in April told just-style it would investigate the matter and compensate workers whose contracts were unfairly terminated.
In an email to just-style today (5 April) a spokesperson for the retailer said the factories under investigation remain suspended during the process – meaning no new orders can be placed there.
“Our investigations found some breaches of the Primark Code of Conduct, which are now being remediated. This includes remunerating any affected workers the compensation they are legally entitled to, confirmation of the withdrawal of legal proceedings against workers and engaging our suppliers’ factories in workplace remediation programmes.
“We have also shared our findings with other stakeholders, as we believe collaboration with key partners, including the Ethical Trading Initiative and the BGMEA, is critical in order to bring about effective industry-wide change. Primark remains committed to ensuring workers’ right are upheld and protected, and we welcome the BGMEA’s independent inquiry into this issue.”
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