Asos agrees global scheme to protect factory workers

The etailer’s global framework agreement with IndustriALL, which represents 50 million workers across the world, is designed to strengthen Asos’ implementation of labour laws in factories producing its own-brand clothing.

It will allow Asos to establish a framework to tackle labour issues on a country-by-country basis and set up confidential worker hotlines.

Asos and IndustriALL will work together to develop methodologies to assess how purchasing practices affect supply chain employees.

Asos chief executive Nick Beighton said: “This landmark global framework agreement with IndustriALL is a signal of our intent to ensure that everyone working in our supply chain feels safe and respected by their employers and fellow workers.

“This can only be achieved if employees have the right to organise and bargain collectively and the ability to ensure improved employment conditions are consistently implemented.”

Earlier this year, Beighton spoke out about working conditions in Leicester textile factories, saying that Asos was keen to treble the amount of product it manufactured in the UK but was reluctant to due to the conditions of some Leicester factories.

Fashion retailers Boohoo, New Look and River Island were implicated in Channel 4’s Disapatches documentary on the subject, which alleged that factory employees were paid as little as £3.50 per hour to make clothes for the chains.