H&M investigates violations of the rights of garment factory workers in Myanmar
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Swedish retailer H&M has launched an investigation into 20 cases of violations of the rights of workers in clothing factories in Myanmar that produce clothes supplied to the company’s stores, reports Reuters. The audit was launched after the British human rights organization Business and Human Rights Resource Center (BHRRC) reported 156 cases of brutal and unfair treatment in Myanmar of workers in clothing factories that supply dozens of retailers, including Adidas, Inditex, KIABI, M&S, Tesco, Next, Mango, New Yorker.
Estimated BHRRC, the most common violations of the rights of workers in garment factories are unjustified reduction in wages or theft in the payment of wages, unfair dismissals, excessive production rates and forced overtime. In addition, factory workers suffer from physical and verbal abuse, discrimination, and sexual harassment. Employers often turn to the military to intimidate workers into complying with unreasonable demands.
H&M said in a statement about the ongoing review that all cases identified in the BHRRC report are being investigated and “where appropriate, are being worked out by our local team in close cooperation with all parties.” The Swedish retailer says it is facing an increasing number of issues preventing it from operating in Myanmar in line with its standards and requirements.
A few weeks ago, Inditex, which owns the Zara brand, already announced it would stop buying from factories in Myanmar. Primark and Marks & Spencer made a similar decision last year.
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