news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

According to the BBC, Chinese fast fashion giant Shein said it found two cases of child labor in its supply chain last year and has stepped up its scrutiny of companies that produce the clothing it sells.

The company said it has suspended orders with the supplier involved and will not resume business with it until they step up efforts to resolve the issue.

It is understood that the news was disclosed in Shein's 2023 Sustainability Report, while the company is planning to sell shares on the stock market.

The company has been criticized for poor working conditions faced by workers in its supply chain factories.

Shein said: Both cases were resolved expeditiously with remedial measures that included terminating the contracts with the underage employees, ensuring payment of all outstanding wages, arranging for medical examinations, and assisting with the repatriation of parents or legal guardians as needed. After appropriate remedial measures were taken, the contract manufacturers were allowed to resume operations.

Shein said it has now tightened its supplier policies, with any violations of child or forced labor being grounds for immediate termination of a contract.

The company said the two cases were detected in the first nine months of 2023, while no cases were detected in the final quarter of last year.

The company is preparing to sell shares on the stock market.

The BBC understands that Shein submitted preliminary documents for a London listing earlier this year.

The move comes weeks after Swiss advocacy group Public Eye released a report saying excessive overtime was still common among many workers in Shein’s supply chain.

In response to the report, Shein told the BBC it was working to address the issues raised by Public Eye and had made significant progress in improving conditions.