Fashion retailers including M&S and Missguided, alongside 50 MPs, have written to the Home Secretary urging that action be taken to address exploitation in the UK fashion supply chain.
A group of 13 retailers, including George at Asda, River Island and New Look, joined investors and NGOs in co-signing the letter to Priti Patel alongside 50 cross-party MPs.
Joules, Matalan, Morrisons, Mountain Warehouse, N Brown and The Very Group were among the other signatories.
The joint letter, coordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) alongside the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fashion and Textiles and the APPG on Ethics and Sustainability, called for the introduction of statutory licensing of garment factories in the UK. This would include protecting workers from forced labour, debt bondage and mistreatment, as well as ensuring payment of National Minimum Wage, VAT, PAYE, National Insurance and holiday pay, and improving health and safety.
“Unless action is taken now, thousands more people will likely face exploitation,” the letter read.
The letter follows an investigation by The Sunday Times into fast fashion giant Boohoo, which led to allegations of modern slavery at a Leicester warehouse.
The undercover probe revealed that employees at a site operating under the name Jaswal Fashions were being paid as little as £3.50 per hour. The investigation recorded footage of an undercover journalist packing garments for Boohoo’s Nasty Gal brand.
Although Boohoo was not a signatory on the letter, the fast fashion retailer’s chief executive John Lyttle wrote to the Home Secretary seperately to “fully support” the proposals made.
“The UK has a proud history in fashion and textiles. A joint effort between industry and government will ensure that the renaissance of which Boohoo Group has been a proud part is a key contributor to our country’s trading future,” Lyttle wrote.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “The BRC has repeatedly called on government to take action to prevent labour exploitation in the UK. Recent reports in the media demonstrate the urgent need for action before more workers are needlessly taken advantage of.
“While there is no silver bullet, licensing is a critical step toward resolving this issue. The public want to know that the clothes they buy have been made by workers who are respected, valued and protected by the law.
“Our members continue to stand firm against labour exploitation, and we hope the Home Secretary joins us in the fight to build a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry.”
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