Marks and Spencer (M&S), the UK’s most trusted supplier of pants and socks, and H&M, the UK high street’s favourite low cost fashion store, have both promoted their brands as different from the rest by claiming ethics set them apart. Through paper bags, clothes recycling, eco collections, and strategic press moments, these two brands have claimed to do things differently. But do these claims have a grounding in reality for workers on the other side of the world making their goods?
This joint report by Labour Behind the Label (LBL) and Cividep shows that garment workers at Marks & Spencer suppliers in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh continue to be paid poorly, forced to live in abject poverty, sharing slum housing and often subjected to illegal levels of overtime work – of up to 110 hours a month over contracted hours. Over 60% of the workers interviewed were struggling with mounting debt just to meet their basic needs.
Access the full report below.
Do we buy it?: Brands’ misleading living wage commitments