Burberry has halted production of its luxury goods in a Chinese factory, following concerns about working conditions. The British brand has cancelled the production of bags from a factory in Guangdong, after fears that the operation was in violation of the company's strict ethical guidelines.
The move followed concerns over the working hours of factory employees and the standards of their surroundings. The factory is operated by Korean firm Simone Accessories Collection, and has also previously made handbags for Michael Kors and Coach. It's not the first time that the Korean company has found itself in the middle of an employment storm. A report from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that in June 2011 employees staged a four-day strike complaining of low pay and verbally abusive behaviour from management.
Burberry joined the Ethical Trading Initiative back in June 2010, which states that: "Workers shall not on a regular basis be required to work in excess of 48 hours per week." According to the bureau's report, workers at the Guangdong site have been working up to 11 hours a day, six days a week - equating to up to 66 hours per week.
"We do recognise that more needs to be done and we thank the Bureau of Investigative Journalism for bringing these issues to our attention," Pamela Batty, Burberry's director of corporate responsibility, wrote in a letter to the bureau. The brand confirmed that it had "been made aware of work hours exceeding 60 hours per week."
According to reports, Burberry received its last batch of Simone-produced goods in July.
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