According to the latest report released by Anti-Slavery International, cotton picked with forced labour in Turkmenistan is getting used in apparels sold by globally renowned fashion brands.
The news comes after it came to light that many Brazilian brands have also been found involved in such malpractices practising slave labour.
Read full story here: Manufacturer of Brazil’s biggest fashion brands encourages slave labour
Conforming the latest development, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Committee too stated that thousands of public sector workers that include teachers and doctors are being forced to pick cotton every year.
Those who refuse to pick cotton are being threatened of punishment and the only way to escape is either by offering bribes or by hiring someone to work on the person’s behalf.
Despite US having banned import of cotton or cotton products from Turkmenistan, the apparels of foreign fashion brands still contain the Turkmen cotton and reportedly this has been attributed to Turkmenistan’s close proximity with Turkey, which is globally the sixth largest textile supplier.
Reportedly, around 60,000 Turkish firms, mainly from textile sector, work in Turkmenistan and it is worth noting that of the 22 per cent foreign-owned textile sector in Turkmenistan, 20 per cent are from Turkey alone.
Turkmenistan imports 14.9 per cent cotton to Turkey, and once it reaches Turkey the textile products containing Turkmen cotton are used for producing clothes for big foreign fashion brands.
