H&M bans Indian spinning mill for use of child labour

Swedish brand Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has decided to stop suppliers from sourcing their yarn requirements from a spinning mill in southern India after a report revealed that five manufacturers belonging to this area, use child labour and the workers, mostly women and girls working in these units are subjected to poor and horrific working conditions.

According to H&M statement, it will now ban suppliers from using products made by Tamil Nadu-based Super Spinning Mills. A Bangladeshi supplier has said to have used yarn produced at the mill. Though H&M doesn’t have a direct business agreement with the unit, it decided to stop sourcing products made from yarns produced at Super, because it was unwilling to cooperate with H&M.

The decision follows a report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, or SOMO, and the India Committee of the Netherlands which said workers face labour conditions “that amount to forced labour in the export-oriented southern Indian textile industry.” The report, which was compiled using a mixture of desk research and interviews on the ground with workers, covers five mills, including Super, however its Managing Director has completely denied the allegations.