Asos spearheads event to tackle modern slavery

The fashion etailer has joined forces with the British High Commission to address the issue in nations such as Mauritius and Bangladesh.

Asos will lead the event today in Port Louis, Mauritius, bringing together local and international stakeholders to discuss worker protection and employment rights.

Other fashion brands with manufacturing partners in Mauritius, including Adidas, zLabels, Puma, Woolworths and Whistles, will also be attending.

The Mauritian and Bangladeshi governments, the International Labour Organization, the Ethical Trading Initiative and Anti-Slavery International are all poised to present as part of the initiative.

Mauritius has been identified as an “area of risk”, with migrant workers encountering a variety of abuses, including debt bondage from unscrupulous employers.

Asos, which has 11 Mauritian factories in its supply chain, has committed to ending worker exploitation and is the first ecommerce player to sign an agreement with IndustriALL, representing 50 million workers, to strengthen implementation of international labour standards.

It has also issued a Modern Slavery Statement as part of its Ethical Trade Strategy, intended to improve working conditions across its international supply chain.

Asos sourcing director Simon Platts said: “The hope is that by sharing experience and expertise, we can encourage efforts to prevent exploitation during recruitment, and engage governments to effectively enforce legislation to protect migrant workers.

“Ultimately we believe this collective approach will help to protect the rights of workers in Mauritius, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”