Peacocks is part of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, who have demanded discounts from their suppliers
Tell Edinburgh Woollen Mill to pay workers in their supply chain
As lockdown eases, shops across the UK are beginning to reopen in order to boost the UK economy. Yet high street fashion brands and retailers are still not taking responsibility for plunging millions of garment workers into even deeper poverty, by delaying or cancelling payments for work already completed.
Edinburgh Woollen Mill is a well-known UK high street company, which incorporates Peacocks, Bonmarché and Jaeger, and is owned by billionaire Philip Day. But their suppliers in Bangladesh have complained that they have unpaid bills of around £27 million, and report that the company is demanding huge discounts of up to 50%, or even 70% on completed orders and garments in production, making it difficult for suppliers to pay their workers.
Along with our allies at Labour Behind the Label and the Clean Clothes Campaign, we are asking you to join us in demanding Edinburgh Woollen Mill make a public statement and commitment to:
- Pay existing their contractual obligations for all orders made that have been sent for shipping or are in production
- Ensure that all workers in its supply chains receive their legally mandated or regular wages and benefits, including back pay or severance pay if applicable.
In one of their supplier's factories in Bangladesh, Crystal Composite Ltd, workers have been left unpaid for work already completed. The impact of this action has meant that many individuals have been left unable to pay medical bills or buy food for their families.
For too long, the garment industry has made huge profits for companies such as Edinburgh Woollen Mill, from some of the lowest-paid workers in the world. This global pandemic should not be making their situation worse, and the companies responsible must be held accountable.
Unions and workers associations have been stepping in to provide food, shelter and healthcare but we cannot let companies which have made billions in profits now wash their hands of any responsibility. Fashion brands must pay in full for their orders and ensure workers in their supply chains are paid.
Write to Philip Day, owner and CEO of Edinburgh Woollen Mill, to demand that he protects workers in his supply chain.
