H&M under fire as Swedish television unearths production scandal

A documentary revealing the miserable conditions faced by Cambodian factory workers producing goods for the fashion retailer H&M was aired on Swedish national television on 24 October. Campaigners and the media have called on H&M to respond to allegations of poverty pay in the industry.

“The documentary revealed the reality behind the glamorous veneer of fast, cheap fashion sold in H&M stores,” said Klaus Melvin Jensen, co-ordinator for Clean Clothes Campaign Denmark. “I fear many of H&M’s customers will lose their appetite for cheap clothing after seeing this film.”

In recent months, H&M has held a number of high-profile meetings with dignitaries, such as the Vice Prime Minister of Cambodia, and officials from the wage board of Cambodia to call for a higher minimum wage to be implemented for workers. Yet campaigners say meetings and good intentions are not a sufficient response to the pressing health risks and poverty conditions faced by factory workers.

For the full story, see the November 2012 edition of Textiles South East Asia. Not a subscriber? Subscribe HERE