Around the world, there are injustices embedded into our supply chains and practices. Forced labour, slavery and unfair conditions are all present in the processes which produce everyday items and essential goods.
How can I take action?
Write to a brand (or two) that you frequently shop at. Ask them to confirm that forced labour – particularly in Xinjiang, China – is not present within their supply chains, or demonstrate the steps they are taking to make their supply chains more ethically robust.
We’ve prepared a template letter which you can use – just scroll down and copy and paste! The goal is to get as many brands as possible to affirm their ethical standards, particularly in regards to the use of cotton products produced by Uyghur Muslims in China.
Below are companies that have already been implicated in reports regarding forced labour in the Xinjiang province below. If there’s one you’re a frequent customer of, why not write to them using our template?
Let us know who you choose to contact, and please do share their reply if you are able.
Click through to find their email address or contact form.
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Abercrombie and Fitch -
Adidas -
Calvin Klein -
Fila -
Foot Locker -
GAP -
H&M -
HomeSense -
Lululemon -
Next -
Nike -
Pull&Bear -
Sainsbury’s -
Sketchers -
Tesco -
The North Face -
Timberland -
TK Maxx -
Tommy Hilfiger -
Victoria’s Secret -
Walt Disney -
Zara
Dear x,
As a customer of your company, I am very concerned about the involvement of British brands in reports of forced labour in the Xinjiang province of China. I am writing to you to ask if you can confirm that your company does not use textiles produced by factories implicated in these reported human rights abuses, or if you do, what steps you intend to take to rectify this.
As you are aware, over one million Uyghurs have been detained by the Chinese Government and put into labour camps or moved to various regions across regions of China to labour in textiles factories. According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s report, around 80 brands, including your own, are “potentially directly or indirectly benefiting” from the use of this forced labour.
A number of brands have taken public steps to ensure that they are not sourcing products produced via forced labour, such as M&S, Whistles and Reformation. Will you join these companies in putting in place robust monitoring of the supply chain to ensure that you do not source products from factories in the Xinjiang region or elsewhere in China that use forced labour?
I want to support companies that treat everyone in their supply chain, from shop floor to cotton field, with the respect and dignity they deserve.
I would be most grateful if you could respond to the questions I have raised, and outline how your company is taking steps to be a positive force for transparency within the textile industry.
Yours sincerely,
Share your action on social media
We’ve written some tweets you might want to share after you write to a company, to encourage others to play their part in challenging forced labour and pushing for transparency in the clothing industry.
‘I’ve just written to the CEO of @x to make sure their clothes aren’t produced by forced labour in the Xinjiang region. Why not write to them here?
jpit.uk/take-action-forced-labour-in-fashion #TransparentTrade #ProtectUgyhurs
‘Knowing who made my clothes is important to me – I’ve just written to @x to ask them to confirm that they don’t use Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains, why don’t you?
jpit.uk/take-action-forced-labour-in-fashion #TransparentTrade’
‘Do you know who made your clothes? I’ve written to @x to make sure their clothes are forced labour free & you can too here: jpit.uk/take-action-forced-labour-in-fashion #TransparentTrade