Boohoo has responded to claims that some of the clothing factories it uses in Leicester are deliberately flouting payment of minimum wages to their workers. According to reports from Sky News, some employers are making employees had back some of their wages.
One worker had apparently produced a wage slip with her hours worked and correct wage level, but she also showed reporters a slip of paper accompanying the payslip with a handwritten number which she said was the amount her boss says she has to withdraw in cash and return to the factory.
Boohoo issued a statement to the stock exchange: “Boohoo is committed to the highest standards of ethical compliance within its supply chain. Suppliers are wholly expected to adhere to these standards, and any concerns such as those raised by Sky News are immediately investigated. Since last year’s independent review, the group has repeatedly stated its determination in rebuilding a garment industry in Leicester with a robust, fair and transparent supply chain. Suppliers are visited more frequently, sub-contracting has been removed, products can only be purchased from our approved supplier list, mandatory whistle-blower helplines have been installed at every supplier, and the use of technology is allowing the group to forensically monitor suppliers and their financial records.
“Over the course of the next 12 months, we are transitioning all of our suppliers to the Fast Forward forensic auditing model, widely recognised as the leading auditing model in the UK. We continue to work closely with local authorities such as the GLAA, as well as anti-slavery charity Hope for Justice who have stated: “Boohoo have been proactive in their measures to mitigate the risk of labour exploitation within their supply chains, and have made a strong commitment to tackling the unscrupulous and exploitative employment practices that still sadly exist within some suppliers to the garment industry. We welcome Boohoo’s work with Fashion Enter and the new textile academy in Leicester, as well as their collaboration with Hope for Justice and our business-focused division Slave-Free Alliance on proposed awareness and prevention initiatives in the industry to better evaluate what intervention methods will be most effective.”
Boohoo group chief executive, John Lyttle, said: “As a group, we are wholly confident that the significant steps that we have taken over the last 12 months are resulting in a fair, robust and transparent supply chain.
“The group continues to closely monitor its suppliers, with swift action taken against any suppliers who fail to demonstrate the high standards that we expect. Nobody has done more to drive change in Leicester than ourselves, and our work continues unabated.”
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