Following the revelation of forced prison labour in China and the suspension with a Chinese suppliers by the British retailer Tesco, investigations into its relationship with a Chinese printing firm suspected of using forced prison labour is also being done by Australian clothing retailer Cotton On Group according a report by ABC News.
After a media report over the week end in the UK claiming that a customer had found a message inside a Christmas card that said that the card had been packaged by foreign prisoners who were victims of forced labour, its business relations with Zhejiang Yunguang Printing company of China was cut off by the British supermarket giant.
The report in the ABC quoted a Cotton On statement which said that the company’s “supplier code of conduct includes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery, including forced labour.”
There was no separate comment available in the media from Cotton On on the issue.
Referring the issue that is raging in the UK, Tesco PLC said that the Christmas card which had the message and which was first seen by a schoolgirl, was one of the batch that was produced at the Zhejiang Yunguang Printing factory which is about 100 km (60 miles) from Shanghai Qingpu prison. While announcing the decision to suspend the Chinese supplier, Tesco said that it was shocked by the allegations and that it was conducting an in depth investigation into the matter.
Since the news had appeared in the media during the weekend, no comments from Zhejiang Yunguang were available in the media. The Chinese government however has denied all the charges made in the media and said that there was no incidents of forced labour at the Shanghai prison
Walt Disney Co and United states based retailer Big Lots have also been listed as its international partners by Zhejiang Yunguang Printing in on its website, reported the ABC.
No comments from Big Lots and Disney were also available in the media even though they were reportedly approached for the same.
(Source:www.nytimes.com)
After a media report over the week end in the UK claiming that a customer had found a message inside a Christmas card that said that the card had been packaged by foreign prisoners who were victims of forced labour, its business relations with Zhejiang Yunguang Printing company of China was cut off by the British supermarket giant.
The report in the ABC quoted a Cotton On statement which said that the company’s “supplier code of conduct includes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery, including forced labour.”
There was no separate comment available in the media from Cotton On on the issue.
Referring the issue that is raging in the UK, Tesco PLC said that the Christmas card which had the message and which was first seen by a schoolgirl, was one of the batch that was produced at the Zhejiang Yunguang Printing factory which is about 100 km (60 miles) from Shanghai Qingpu prison. While announcing the decision to suspend the Chinese supplier, Tesco said that it was shocked by the allegations and that it was conducting an in depth investigation into the matter.
Since the news had appeared in the media during the weekend, no comments from Zhejiang Yunguang were available in the media. The Chinese government however has denied all the charges made in the media and said that there was no incidents of forced labour at the Shanghai prison
Walt Disney Co and United states based retailer Big Lots have also been listed as its international partners by Zhejiang Yunguang Printing in on its website, reported the ABC.
No comments from Big Lots and Disney were also available in the media even though they were reportedly approached for the same.
(Source:www.nytimes.com)