Asian Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) Indonesia has urged fashion retailers Walmart, Gap and H&M to end worker exploitation in their supplier factories in Indonesia.

In a statement released on Friday, AFWA-Indonesia coordinator Syarif Arifin stated that Gansol Hyun, a factory producing Walmart products in Subang, West Java, had gone bankrupt and abandoned its 1,730 workers without notice or pay.

In Sukabumi, also in West Java, garment factory Younghyun Star imposes a scoring system, does not pay overtime work and underpays religious holiday bonuses, known as THR, to its workers. In Cakung, North Jakarta, Hansae, which produces H&M and Gap clothes, gave Rp 10,000 (less than US$1) to its 50 workers as severance pay.

“There are still many forms of exploitation in garment factories in Indonesia,” Syarif said.

In separate statements, unions and rights groups have demanded fashion retailers resolve cases of exploitation in their supply chains and pay attention to the welfare of workers producing their clothes.

Global Labor Justice (GLJ) has published reports on gender-based exploitation in supply chains for Gap and H&M. Both retailers have pledged to look into the alleged cases. They stated that they supported the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention.

A report on exploitation cases in Walmart supply chains has also been released by GLJ. ASFWA and GLJ have urged Walmart to follow the steps taken by Gap and H&M to acknowledge the ILO Convention. (stu/ebf)

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by The Jakarta Post

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