Shein found two cases of child labour in its supply chain last year, the fast fashion retailer has said.
The company’s 2023 sustainability report, published yesterday, said it suspended orders from the suppliers that had employed children under 16.
Both cases had been “resolved swiftly”, it said, with remediation steps including ending underage employees’ contracts, arranging medical check-ups, and facilitating repatriation to parents or guardians as necessary.
“We remain vigilant in guarding against such violations going forward, and in line with current policies, will terminate any non-compliant suppliers,” Shein said in the report.
Shein has stepped up audits of manufacturers in China to assuage criticisms of its low-cost business model ahead of a planned flotation.
It tightened its supplier policy last October after the child labour cases were found, so that any severe breaches – called “Immediate Termination Violations” – would result in ending the relationship with the supplier immediately.
Previously, suppliers such as those that employed minors had 30 days to resolve the issue, failing which Shein would cut ties.
Leave a Reply