
In Thailand, a group of 130 former employees at VK Garment Factory are suing Tesco, Britain’s leading multinational retailer and a leading auditing specialist company for “alleged negligence and unjust enrichment”.
The Guardian, a leading newspaper, has reported first about this issue.
As per reports, the retailer is facing a landmark lawsuit over allegations that migrant workers were forced to work 99-hour weeks on illegally low pay, making jeans for the supermarket giant’s F&F fashion brand.
The case belongs to the period between 2017 and 2020.
Leigh Day, a law firm, has said that the migrant workers are bringing a legal claim against Tesco, Ek-Chai Distribution System Company Limited, which was owned by Tesco until 2020, and a leading auditing company.
Tesco and Ek-Chai are accused of negligence ‘for permitting, facilitating and/or failing to prevent the unlawful working and housing conditions which caused the workers injuries and losses.”
If the companies don’t settle the workers’ claim, the workers will consider progressing the matter in the High Court.
A Tesco spokesperson said that the allegations highlighted in this report are incredibly serious, and had we identified issues like this at the time they took place, we would have ended our relationship with this supplier immediately.
The spokesperson also urged the supplier to reimburse employees for any wages they are owed.