Workers Rights news and archive

Tod’s CEO defends company ethics following labour exploitation allegations

"Made in Italy is one of our country's excellences, recognised worldwide," explained Diego Della Valle last Friday from Tod's headquarters in Milan. The executive's comments came after the city's Public Prosecutor's Office requested judicial administration for the Marche-based company, Tod's SpA, for allegedly negligently facilitating "severe...

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Tod's faces judicial administration over claims of "severe labour exploitation"

The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has requested to place the Marche-based company Tod's spa under judicial administration for negligently facilitating "severe labour exploitation" along its production chain. The request from public prosecutor Paolo Storari is addressed to Italy's Court of Cassation, which has scheduled a hearing for November...

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LVMH's Loro Piana: After the scandal, what are the consequences for the sector and investors?

LVMH Group once again found itself in turmoil when its Italian subsidiary Loro Piana, a house renowned for its cashmere and understated luxury, was placed under court supervision by the Milan Court last month. This exceptional decision highlights the excesses of an outsourcing system too often out of control, already singled out in other similar...

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Trade union freedom is still a long way off in fashion: "It's essential that brands sit down with employees"

2023 and 2024 were years of protests for Bangladeshi garment workers. Tens of thousands of workers took to the streets, demanding, among other things, payment arrears and the lack of structural improvements: a living wage, meal allowances, raises for night shifts, and more lenient work duties for pregnant women. These protests were intended to...

Fashion

Milan court orders judicial administration for Loro Piana

Another case of labour exploitation involving a luxury brand has emerged. This time it concerns LVMH-owned brand, Loro Piana. A Milan Court has ordered judicial administration for one year for Loro Piana. Frédéric Arnault has been the CEO of the company since June 10. According to Italian news agency Ansa, the measure taken by the judges of the...

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Fashion

Bangladesh protests bring production to a halt for Fashion's top brands

Levi's and H&M are among top global clothing brands to suffer production halts in Bangladesh, a garment union leader said Friday, after days of violent protests by workers demanding a near-tripling of their wages. Bangladesh's 3,500 garment factories account for around 85 percent of the South Asian country's 55 billion dollars annual exports,...

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"The Industry We Want" event

Can there be a fashion industry, where everyone can have a good sleep at night? On June 23, 2021, 270 people from 38 countries across the supply chain joined the second The Industry We Want event. Together, we explored how we can work together towards a garment and footwear industry that ensures dignity for workers, thriving businesses along the...

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Bangladesh Accord extended by three months

The Bangladesh on Fire and Building Safety Accord, which was set to expire on May 31 2021, has been extended for another three months. The accord is a legally binding pact signed by more than 200 fashion companies that aims to improve factory safety for workers following the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse which resulted in the deaths of over...

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Boohoo links executive pay to environmental and social targets

Boohoo has bowed to shareholder pressure and will link the pay of its executives to environmental, social and governance targets following an investigation that found evidence of labour abuse across its UK supply chain. In the company’s annual report published this week, it said: “We have redesigned the executive directors’ remuneration policy...

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Fashion

Garment workers from nine countries call for better terms from retailers

Garment makers from nine countries have come together to demand better contracts from global fashion retailers after billions of dollars worth of orders were cancelled or paused last year amid the pandemic. Thirteen garment suppliers associations in China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Turkey, Morocco and Indonesia have...

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Fashion

Boohoo slashes UK suppliers following Leicester investigation

Boohoo has cut ties with a swathe of suppliers following a review of its UK supply chain. “The group has ceased doing business with a number of manufacturers who were unable to demonstrate the high standard of transparency required, despite being provided with opportunities to address any issues identified in the auditing process,” Boohoo said...

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Fashion

MPs call for adjudicator to tackle UK garment supply chain abuses

MPs have called for the introduction of a garment trade adjudicator to help eradicate non-compliance with labour market regulation in the UK’s garment industry. It comes as the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said it has seen evidence of “ongoing labour abuses in the domestic and international supply chains supplying UK fashion retailers”....