Uniqlo Under Fire for Buying Supplies from Unsafe Factories

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) said that Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo "has violated its commitment to corporate social responsibility."

The group's statement is based on an investigation conducted between July and Nov. 2014.

Uniqlo, which sits under parent company Fast Retailing Co., was identified by the Hong Kong labor rights organization as the primary buyer of two factories located in China's Guangdong Province.

The key issues cited in the SACOM assessment are regarding overall employee conditions, in which long hours, low remuneration rates, workplace hazards and management conduct contributed to below-standard working arrangements. The investigators allegedly observed:

". . . extremely high shop floor temperatures, dirty sewage flowing all over the floor, unsafe facilities, poor ventilation with dense cotton dust filling the air, irritating smells and high risk of electricity leakage."

Additionally, employees without garments to protect their bodies were seen inserting heavy pigments into a hot dyeing tent, while workers in charge of handling the knitting machines were unable to steady themselves while standing on chairs and fell down as a consequence. The statement asserted that the "factories have neglected work safety, putting workers at risk."

In terms of pay rates, SACOM referred to the example of one employee who ironed up to 700 shirts over a 14-hour period each day for 0.29 yuan (5 U.S. cents) per shirt.

During a period when Uniqlo is challenging major brands like H&M and Gap in the global marketplace, Fast Retailing responded to the claims by initiating an investigation.