Chinese apparel manufacturers are continuously violating the compliance norms. Now a report by Swiss advocacy group Public Eye, a non-Governmental organisation, says that workers for some suppliers of the Chinese fashion giant Shein are doing excessive overtime.
It says that a number of staff across six sites in Guangzhou were found to be doing 75-hour week. Shein said it takes supply chain issues seriously and will review the report.
David Hachfeld of Public Eye said there was ‘enormous pressure’ on staff to turn clothes around quickly.
It has been said that Public Eye’s researchers visited 17 factories supplying Shein and its parent company Zoetop, near the Shein headquarters in Guangzhou. The organisation typically campaigns on big Swiss businesses and their dealings abroad.
It interviewed 10 workers across six of those sites, which were solely receiving orders from Shein at the time.
Reacting on this report, Shein said, “Upon learning of the report, we immediately requested a copy and when we receive and review the report, we will initiate an investigation. We have a strict supplier Code of Conduct which includes stringent health and safety policies and is in compliance with local laws. If non-compliance is identified we will take immediate action.”
It is worth mentioning here that Public Eye launched an investigation into Shein, which works with thousands of suppliers, last year in a bid to find out more about the fashion giant’s structure.
