School uniform supplier must show it doesn ’t profit from sweatshop labour

One of the UK’s largest school uniform manufacturers has today (Monday) been challenged by unions to show its clothing isn’t being made using sweatshop labour. Trutex, which has been supplying school uniforms in the UK for more than 150 years, has so far refused to release information about the factories it uses, according to labour rights campaigning organisation Labour Behind the Label. Companies including Marks & Spencer, Primark, New Look and ASOS now all regularly provide supply chain information about the factories producing their clothing, following public outrage about brands exploiting workers. The half a billion pound UK school uniform sector has so far avoided the intense public scrutiny directed at high-street brands. But now a joint campaign by the two unions and Labour Behind the Label, aims to hold Trutex – the biggest player in the UK school uniform sector – to account. An online petition is being launched today (Monday) asking Trutex to follow the lead of other clothing companies and publish information including a list of its factory sites, the number and type of goods produced, and a gender breakdown of workers at each site. As many parents have little choice but to buy logoed items from a few designated suppliers, including Trutex, they may unknowingly be supporting exploitation. Government guidance to schools urging them to avoid exclusive single supplier contracts have largely gone unheeded. Often parents are unwittingly supporting exploitati...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release Source Type: news