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11/22/2024 02:51:37 am

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H&M to Improve Workers' Conditions in Asian Factories

H&M Sees First Quarter Earnings Surge

(Photo : Getty Images) H&M sign hangs in a window April 7, 2005 in Chicago, Illinois.

Retail clothing store H&M has announced that it will work with trade unions and other global entities like the United Nations to improve its workers' conditions following reports criticizing the state of the company's garment factories across Asia, Reuters reported.

Workers in Delhi and Phnom Penh are reportedly facing difficulties including low pay, fixed-term contracts, forced overtime, and job loss due to pregnancy, a study conducted by the Asia Floor Wage Alliance discovered.

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The high-street fashion maker has been accused of failing to deliver on its promise to clean up its supply chain.

Meanwhile, an H&M representative told Reuters on Saturday that the company has actively been working on improving the lives of its textile workers.

"The report raises important issues and we are dedicated to contribute to positive long-term development for the people working in the textile industry in our sourcing markets," Therese Sundberg said.

Describing the issues laid out as "industry-wide problems," Sundberg said, "They are often difficult to address as an individual company and we firmly believe that collaboration is key."

She further revealed that the fashion firm has already collaborated with the International Labour Organization, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and both global and local trade unions to come up with possible solutions.

Sundberg said solving the issues raised is a long-term and step-by-step process. She also noted that responsible buyers will play a vital role in the development of these countries. "We want to contribute to increase improvements in these markets," she said.

H&M has been under scrutiny particularly after the collapse of the Rana Plaza complex in Bangladesh in 2013. More than 1,000 textile workers were killed of the incident.

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