Workers in Thailand who made F&F jeans for Tesco 'trapped in actual forced labour'
Burmese workers who produced F+F jeans for Tesco in Thailand say they are trapped in effective forced labor, working 99 hours a week for illegally low wages in appalling conditions, a a Guardian investigation has revealed.< /p>
Tesco is facing a landmark lawsuit in the UK from 130 former VK Garment Factory (VKG) workers, who are suing them for alleged negligence and unjust enrichment. Workers made jeans, denim jackets and other F&F clothing for adults and children for the Thai branch of the Tesco business between 2017 and 2020.
Tesco said the clothes were only sold in the Thai market, although the Guardian saw images of labels written in English on clothes said to be made there. Profits from sales in Thailand have been returned to the UK.
It is believed to be the first time a UK company has been threatened with legal action English about a foreign garment factory in its supply chain which it does not own.
The factory is in Mae Sot, a city at the Myanmar border which depends on Burmese migrant labor and has developed a reputation over the past decade as a 'Wild West' for workers' rights. The lawsuit argues that Tesco should have known the area was notorious for exploitation. model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class="dcr-173mewl">
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The Guardian investigated the claims of former factory workers and interviewed 21 of them in Mae Sot. They described:
Be paid as little as £3 a day to work 8am-11pm with just one day off per month.
Detailed records kept by supervisors seen by the Guardian show the majority of workers on their lines were paid less than £4 a day and only on what they could earn. The Thai minimum wage then was £7 for an 8-hour day.
Having to work all night for 24 hours at least once a month to fulfill large F&F orders, and being so exhausted that they fell asleep at their sewing tables.
Some reported serious injuries; one man described slicing his arm open while carrying a dangerously heavy locking machine, requiring 13 stitches. Another said he lost the tip of his index finger after cutting it off in a button machine while making F&F denim jackets.
Many said they were yelled at and threatened by factory officials if they did not continue to work overtime and meet their targets.
More than a dozen workers interviewed said the factory opened bank accounts for them, then confiscated the cards and passwords so they could pretend they were being paid minimum wage while still paying much less in cash.
Most workers relied on VKG for their immigration status and some said they...
Burmese workers who produced F+F jeans for Tesco in Thailand say they are trapped in effective forced labor, working 99 hours a week for illegally low wages in appalling conditions, a a Guardian investigation has revealed.< /p>
Tesco is facing a landmark lawsuit in the UK from 130 former VK Garment Factory (VKG) workers, who are suing them for alleged negligence and unjust enrichment. Workers made jeans, denim jackets and other F&F clothing for adults and children for the Thai branch of the Tesco business between 2017 and 2020.
Tesco said the clothes were only sold in the Thai market, although the Guardian saw images of labels written in English on clothes said to be made there. Profits from sales in Thailand have been returned to the UK.
It is believed to be the first time a UK company has been threatened with legal action English about a foreign garment factory in its supply chain which it does not own.
The factory is in Mae Sot, a city at the Myanmar border which depends on Burmese migrant labor and has developed a reputation over the past decade as a 'Wild West' for workers' rights. The lawsuit argues that Tesco should have known the area was notorious for exploitation. model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class="dcr-173mewl">< /figure>
The Guardian investigated the claims of former factory workers and interviewed 21 of them in Mae Sot. They described:
Be paid as little as £3 a day to work 8am-11pm with just one day off per month.
Detailed records kept by supervisors seen by the Guardian show the majority of workers on their lines were paid less than £4 a day and only on what they could earn. The Thai minimum wage then was £7 for an 8-hour day.
Having to work all night for 24 hours at least once a month to fulfill large F&F orders, and being so exhausted that they fell asleep at their sewing tables.
Some reported serious injuries; one man described slicing his arm open while carrying a dangerously heavy locking machine, requiring 13 stitches. Another said he lost the tip of his index finger after cutting it off in a button machine while making F&F denim jackets.
Many said they were yelled at and threatened by factory officials if they did not continue to work overtime and meet their targets.
More than a dozen workers interviewed said the factory opened bank accounts for them, then confiscated the cards and passwords so they could pretend they were being paid minimum wage while still paying much less in cash.
Most workers relied on VKG for their immigration status and some said they...
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