H&M investigates worker rights abuses at Myanmar factory

The world’s second-biggest fashion retailer, Sweden’s H&M, announced it is investigating 20 complaints of abuse of workers in factories in Myanmar, where it supplies.

Inditex, the owner of Zara, H&M’s biggest rival, also announced a few weeks ago that it will gradually stop shopping in Myanmar.

156 CASE SURVEILLED IN 1 YEAR

The UK-based Business and Human Rights Center (BHRRC) tracked 156 cases of alleged worker rights violations in garment factories in Myanmar from February 2022 to February 2023.

This figure, which was 56 the previous year, indicates that workers’ rights have worsened since the February 2021 military coup.

According to the BHRRC report seen by Reuters and released today, pay cuts and wage theft were the most frequently reported allegations; These were followed by unfair dismissals, inhumane work rates, and forced overtime.

‘THE DIFFICULTIES TO EXECUTE OUR OPERATIONS HAVE INCREASED’

“We monitor all allegations raised by BHRRC in the report and resolve them where necessary, through our local team on the ground and in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders,” H&M said in a statement.

“We are deeply concerned by the latest developments in Myanmar and see increasing challenges in running our operations to our standards and requirements,” H&M said in a statement. (Reuters)