Shock news report claims Lululemon workers beaten in Bangladeshi factory
Credit to Author: David Carrigg| Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 05:02:09 +0000
A news report based on journalists’ interviews with garment workers in Bangladesh claims a factory that has supplied clothes to Lululemon has allowed brutalization of female employees.
According to a report published Oct. 14 in The Guardian, Vancouver’s Lululemon yoga brand had sourced clothes from a factory owned by Youngone Corporation where female workers claimed they were beaten.
The report goes on to state that Lululemon had responded by launching an immediate investigation.
“There are currently no orders planned for this factory, and we will take appropriate action based upon the findings of our investigation,” a Lululemon spokesperson told The Guardian.
“A responsible supply chain starts with us and we are committed to upholding ethical sourcing partners globally. Our Vendor Code of Ethics consists of best in class industry standards. We require that all vendors share our values and uphold a consistent set of policies that live up to our code. We do not tolerate any violation of this code.”
The workers had alleged that they expected to be hit or verbally abused if they broke rules, and that pay for some workers was $140 a month. One worker claimed they were slapped for leaving work when sick, while another witnessed a colleague hit in the chest. Some reported being called “whores,” “sluts,” and “prostitutes” by management.
Youngone Corporation is based in Chittagong, Bangladesh, where The Guardian has at least two reporters working on stories about the treatment of women in Bangladeshi factories.
Anna Bryher, advocacy director for Labour Behind the Label told The Guardian “as outrageous as this story is, this isn’t a one-off. Women making clothes in Bangladesh are routinely and systematically abused and harassed.”
Youngone told The Guardian that an internal review had been launched.
Lululemon also sources items and clothes from Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Vietnam.