Inditex response regarding child labour employed in its supply chain in India
7 August 2012
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Inditex to respond to the following item:
- [PDF] “Bonded (child) labour in the South Indian Garment Industry - An Update of Debate and
Action on the ‘Sumangali Scheme” SOMO, July 2012
http://somo.nl/publications-en/Publication_3818/at_download/fullfile
In response, Inditex sent the following statement:
We appreciate your kind request of information regarding Inditex initiatives pursuing the eradication of unfair labour
practices in Southern India and, specifically, those related with Sumangali scheme. First of all, we would like to clarify
that the inclusion of Pull&Bear, part of Inditex Group, among the companies that did not answered to the Centre for
Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) request of information is consequence of a misunderstanding:
Inditex Group, as owner company of Pull&Bear and other well-known clothing brands, has been in contact with
SOMO both directly and as an active member of Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)’s Sumangali Bonded Labour
Group/Tamil Nadu Multi Stakeholder Group.
We understand that Inditex has clearly answered that none of its suppliers (including those working for Pull&Bear
brand) neither work nor accept the Sumangali scheme. Inditex has confirmed the veracity of this fact and is actively
working in this sense together with other Indian manufacturers through our partnership with the Ethical Trading
Initiative (ETI).
With this regard, we are happy to provide you with some facts about the work developed related to this issue by our
company:
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First of all, we must clarify that Inditex’s presence in the Tirupur area is very limited and has
decreased -by commercial reasons- during the last years, representing around 0,1% of Inditex
global purchases on 2011.
SOMO report only refers to Pull&Bear as a client –among many others- of Eastman Exports Global
Clothing, one of the Indian companies analyzed. Eastman Group efforts to avoid unfair practices
related with Sumangali scheme have been clearly mentioned in SOMO reports.
SOMO reports also has broadly mentioned Ethical Trading Initiative’s efforts and results on this
issue.
Although the limited relation above mentioned, Inditex is resolutely committed with the improvement of labour
practices of Tamil Nadu suppliers. Activities carried out by Inditex Group regarding Sumangali Scheme in Tamil Nadu
region started on 2010, after receiving an input from the NGO Anti Slavery International including references to
contraventions of local and international labour standards in this region, have been:
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An extensive audit programme to garment suppliers as well as printing, dyeing, spinning and
knitting units belonging to our suppliers to identify potential incompliance of Inditex’s Code of
Conduct for External Manufacturers. As result of continuous audit process, we can confirm that
child labour or forced labour don’t occur on Eastman Group units producing for Inditex Group. In
any case, Sumangali scheme was totally abolished by Eastman on September 2010.
Furthermore, Inditex enlarged its CSR team in India (based in Delhi) establishing a second local
team in Southern India, in order to work very closely with suppliers and the rest of stakeholders
involved.
Inditex was one of the founding members of Tirupur Stakeholders Forum, a multi-stakeholder
action initiative to implement sustainable long term policies to overcome workforce and working
conditions difficulties.
Under the umbrella of ETI, Inditex is participating in common initiatives at national and international level regarding
this issue. We suggest you to directly contact ETI to have a more extensive information. We also invite you to review
our 2011 Annual Report (Suppliers section, page 66), where you can find a summary of the Inditex’s ‘Sumangali
Project’ focus during 2011.