March 2012
Author
Charles Kernaghan
Research
Charles Kernaghan, Barbara Briggs
Cassie Rusnak, Elana Szymkowiak and Kevin Pietrick
Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights
(Formerly National Labor Committee)
5 Gateway Center, 6F, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 , U.S.A.
+1-412-562-2406 | [email protected] | www.globallabourrights.org
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... i
What Must Be Done...................................................................................................................................... ii
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1
A Chinese Sweater Sweatshop in Bangladesh ............................................................................................. 3
Illegal Sweatshop Conditions: Grueling Hours, Cheated of Wages ............................................................. 3
Every Single Labor Law is Blatantly Violated ......................................................................................... 4
Workers Describe Prison-like Conditions................................................................................................. 6
Rolling Stones’ Collaboration with Dressmann............................................................................... 9
No Union Allowed .................................................................................................................................. 10
The Strike ................................................................................................................................................ 10
The Sweatshop Model............................................................................................................................. 14
Addenda ...................................................................................................................................................... 17
A.
Company Profiles .......................................................................................................................... 17
B.
Ethical Codes of Conduct .............................................................................................................. 22
C.
Rosita Knitwears Handbook on Service ........................................................................................ 28
Executive Summary
The Chinese-owned Rosita Knitwears and Megha Textile (Megatex) factories in Bangladesh produce
sweatshop sweaters for:
- Peek&Cloppenburg, Van Graaf – Germany
- BHS (British Home Stores) /Arcadia Group – United Kingdom
- Coles / Wesfarmers – Australia
- Dressmann/Varner Group – Norway
- Celio – France
- de Bijenkorf – Netherlands
- Fynch-Hatton – Germany
- Smart Set / Reitmans – Canada (produced in 2010 and part of 2011)
 Five thousand workers toil under harsh and illegal sweatshop conditions.
 Workers paid a starvation wage of 16 to 22 cents an hour.
 All overtime is forced—routine, seven-day, 84-hour work weeks.
 Workers are beaten, threatened, stripped of their rights and imprisoned on false charges. Hundreds
of workers have been fired.
 Chinese managers may be cheating the poor Bangladeshi workers of over $1 million a year—
through underpayment of overtime hours alone. (Not one single worker is paid the legal overtime
premium.)
 Corporal punishment is the norm: Workers arriving late are forced to stand at attention, with their
arms at their sides, for at least four hours. They cannot talk, turn their head or go to the bathroom.
 Management also cheats the workers of their legal vacation pay, which may total some $535,000 over
the last three years.
 Every labor law in Bangladesh is routinely, systematically and grossly violated.
 All International Labour Organization internationally recognized worker rights standards—freedom of
association, the right to form a union and bargain collectively, and freedom from forced labor—are also
blatantly violated on a daily basis.
 The international labels must immediately intervene to end the gross violations and restore the rule of
law.
What Must Be Done
Peek&Cloppenburg /Van Graaf (Germany), British Home Stores /Arcadia Group (United Kingdom),
Coles /Wesfarmers (Australia), Dressmann/Varner Group (Norway), Celio (France), de Bijenkorf
(Netherlands)/Selfridges Group, Ltd. (Canada and UK), Fynch-Hatton (Germany) and Smart Set
/Reitmans (Canada) must:
 Move immediately to stop the beatings, imprisonment and firing of hundreds of workers at
your supplier plants, Rosita Knitwears and Megha Textile (Megatex), in Bangladesh.
Five thousand workers are systematically and grossly cheated of their legal overtime pay, earned leave
and other benefits. Every labor law in Bangladesh, as well as the core International Labour
Organization internationally recognized worker rights standards are routinely violated.

Do not cut and run from your suppliers, Rosita and Megatex, which would only further punish the
workers, who have already suffered enough.

Rather, keep your production in the factories while you work with management to bring them into
compliance with Bangladeshi labor law and core ILO worker rights standards.

The workers imprisoned under false charges must be released.

Immediately reinstate the hundreds of workers recently fired, with back wages.

Immediately pay the workers all their back wages and benefits, which may amount to well over a
million dollars.

Stop the threats and violence against the outspoken labor leaders.

An agreed upon independent ombudsman acceptable to both the workers and the labels must be
installed at the Rosita and Megatex plants to transition from the current illegal and violent conditions
to one of respect for the law.

The Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights proposes a joint meeting at the Rosita and
Megatex factories to bring together all the stakeholders—the international labels, the workers, the
local Ministry of Labor and the Chinese owners.
It is absolutely imperative that Rosita and Megatex management finally understand that they will be held
accountable under the law.
Introduction
By Charles Kernaghan
How Is It....that there are so many corporate codes of conduct across Europe, Australia and Canada, that
fail so miserably?
In the abstract, corporate codes of conduct read well and appear to guarantee so many worker rights—no
forced labor; the right to organize and form a union; the right to bargain collectively; to be free of
physical punishment and more. Yet two Chinese-owned sweatshops in the North Bengal region of
Bangladesh—Rosita and Megatex—make sweaters which are exported to Germany, Norway, United
Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Latvia, Iceland, Australia, Canada
and other countries. And the Bangladeshi workers at these factories are routinely cheated of their wages,
beaten, forced to work seven days a week, fired and imprisoned on false charges.
Nor are the sweaters cheap. A “Marie Lund” sweater made in Bangladesh and purchased at a
Peek&Cloppenburg store in Bremen, Germany sells for USD $66, while many Rosita and Megatex
workers are paid just 16 cents an hour.
What workers across the developing world need are enforceable laws—to guarantee that all local labor
laws and the core International Labour Organization (ILO) internationally recognized worker rights
standards be guaranteed. Corporate codes of conduct are far too often just words with no bite.
Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones could help. The Dressmann/Varner Group, with headquarters in
Norway, has signed a deal with Mick Jagger and other members of the band to help design a new Rolling
Stones clothing line for Dressmann.
The Bangladeshi workers would immediately appreciate the Rolling Stones lyrics to “Satisfaction”
“I can’t get no, I can’t get no, I can’t get no satisfaction.
No satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction.”
Two other points:

In 2011, “Bangladesh exports to Germany increased by 57 percent to $3.4 billion,” the vast
majority of which was garments. The Bangladeshi export garment factories know full well that,
“branding Bangladesh positively in Germany and Europe is critical” to their continued export
growth. Germany and the European Union countries are in a strong position to demand and secure an
end to slave labor conditions in Bangladesh. (Daily Star, February 29, 2012)

The office of the World Bank in Bangladesh estimates that over half the companies and factories in
Bangladesh pay bribes. (Daily Star, February 29, 2012)
The Chinese-owned Rosita and Megatex plants routinely and systematically violate
every labor law in Bangladesh as well as the International Labor Organization’s core
internationally recognized worker rights standards. Under Chinese management, the
factories are operated like minimum security prisons. Under such circumstances,
the workers are trapped.
Nor have Peek&Cloppenburg and Van Graaf in Germany, British Home Stores
owned by Acadia Group in the United Kingdom, Coles owned by Wesfarmers in
Australia, Dressmann owned by Varner Group in Norway, Celio Club owned by
Celio in France, de Bijenkorf (Netherlands) owned by Selfridges Group, Ltd. in
Canada and UK, Fynch-Hatton in Germany or Smart Set owned by Reitmans in
Canada attempted to conduct any serious investigation into the illegal and harsh
sweatshop conditions at their supplier factories.
It would seem impossible for Chinese management, Bangladeshi labor authorities
and the labels to have all been unaware that 5,000 workers have been
systematically cheated of their legal overtime wages for the last three years! And
this is just the tip of the corrupt iceberg.
(Bottom) The entrance of the Ishwardi
Export Processing Zone in Pabna, North
Bengal. (Right) A photo of the Megatex
factory taken with a cell phone camera by
a worker who risked being fired.
A Chinese Sweater Sweatshop
in Bangladesh
 Rosita Knitwears Ltd.
 Megha Textile Ltd. (Megatex)
Housed in the
Ishwardi Export Processing Zone
Pabna, North Bengal
Bangladesh
Production Manager:
Assistant Manager:
Ms. Meghi (Hong Kong)
Mr. Nahid Akter Nirob (Bangladeshi)
Ownership:
Hong Kong Chinese investors.
Approximately 70 Chinese floor managers oversee some 5,000 Bangladeshi workers, knitting
sweaters at the Rosita and Megatex plants. The factories have been operating for over three years.
Illegal Sweatshop Conditions
Grueling Hours, Cheated of Wages
The peak season at the Rosita and Megatex sweater factories is long, approximately eight months, from
February through September, and all overtime is strictly mandatory. The standard peak season shift is 13
hours, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., six days a week, with a six-hour shift from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on
Fridays—which is supposed to be the workers’ day off. Workers are routinely at the factory 84 hours a
week. They have an hour off for lunch, but the security guards blow their whistles after 40 minutes,
ordering the workers to return to their stations. During the four hours of mandatory overtime from 5:00
to 9:00 p.m., the workers are supposed to receive a 15-minute break, when tea and a biscuit are supplied.
It turns out not to be much of a break, as there are no biscuits and there is never enough tea for all the
workers.
The workers’ wages are bad enough—just 22 cents an hour and $10.79 a week for a senior worker, while
less experienced workers receive just 16 cents an hour! Three years back, when the Chinese factories
were opened, the workers were told they would receive 8000 taka—$97.03—a month. That never
happened.
Junior Workers’ are paid 2,750 taka per month
($1.00 = 82.45 taka)
16 cents an hour
$ 1.28 a day (8 hours)
$ 7.70 a week (48 hours)
$ 33.35 a month
$400.24 a year
Senior Experienced Workers are paid 3,855 taka a month
22 cents an hour
$ 1.80 a day (8 hours)
$ 10.79 a week (48 hours)
$ 46.76 a month
$561.07 a year
Nor do workers receive their pay stubs along with their wages. The pay stubs are handed out 15 days
later, making it impossible for workers to challenge any underpayment.
The work is also exhausting. For one thing, most knitters are on their feet for the entire 12-hour shift.
Supervisors push the workers to reach their excessive production targets, which are arbitrarily set by
management.
Management is always looking for ways to fire experienced workers, to bring in cheaper workers who
earn just 16 cents an hour. Also, the senior workers are more aware of their legal rights under the labor
code. The workers told us, “Our backs are close to the wall, and we live always in fear of losing our
jobs.”
Every Single Labor Law is Blatantly Violated
By law, all overtime work beyond the regular daily eight-hour shift must be paid at double time. A senior
worker should make 44 cents an hour (double the regular 22-cent an hour wage) for all overtime work.
But this is not how the Chinese managers operate. No one is paid the legal overtime wage. Every single
worker is being cheated!
The normal peak season shift is 78 working hours per week—48 regular hours and 30 overtime hours.
The 30 overtime hours should by law be paid as double time, at 44 cents an hour. But management never
pays more than the minimum wage of 22 cents an hour. It may not seem like a big deal. So what if
management steals 22 cents per hour by not paying the legal overtime rate?
In fact, management—in broad daylight—is stealing $143,000 a month from some of the hardest working
yet poorest workers in Bangladesh! [22 cents an hour x 30 OT hours = $6.60 per week, or $28.60 per
month per worker. $28.60 x 5000 workers = $143,000 per month in wages stolen from the workers.]
But it gets worse: As the overtime peak season can stretch out to eight months, each worker is being
shortchanged of $28.60 a month and some $288.80 over the eight months. Since there are 5,000 workers
at the Rosita and Megatex factories, Chinese management may be cheating the workers of as much as
$1.14 million. This is big time robbery and graft. (We are calculating this based on the senior workers’
rate.)
In fact, everything about the Rosita and Megatex plants is illegal!
Workers are routinely cheated of their vacation days. By law the workers are due 17 days of annual
vacation. Yet there is not one single worker in the two factories who has received either their legal
vacation days or was paid properly for working through their vacation. In lieu of their 17 days vacation,
the workers should be paid $30.60 in “earned leave” —$1.80 a day for 17 days. This has been going on
for three-and-a-half years, which means each worker has been robbed of $107.10 in earned vacation pay.
If you multiply this by 5,000 workers, to date management may have stolen some $535,500 in vacation
pay owed the already poorly paid workers. Where is the Bangladeshi Ministry of Labor, or the
international labels? Doesn’t anyone care?
An order form and style sheets smuggled
out from Rosita and Megatex factories in
February 2012.
Workers Describe Prison-like Conditions

Arriving one or two minutes late to work three times in a month results in a full day’s wages being
docked.

If a worker misses a day—for example, if they are sick and have the legal right to a paid sick day—
they are still docked a day’s wages. They are also humiliated. As punishment, a worker missing a
day is forced to stand at attention in front of their co-workers for at least four hours with her
arms at her sides. She is not permitted to move, stretch, speak or go to the bathroom during those
four hours. Any normal human being would call this corporal punishment, but this is the norm at
the Megatex and Rosita plants.
But it gets even worse. Workers who
miss a day are often moved to a different
type of knitting machine, forcing them to
learn new patterns and styles. If they
cannot catch on fast, failing to reach their
mandatory production goal will result in
firing.


If a family member dies and a worker
requests three days unpaid leave to return
to her home village to mourn and bury
her family member, management
routinely refuses leave and instead
demands that the worker “submit her
resignation and get out of the factory.”
How’s that for sisterly love?
Rosita Knitwears factory
Throughout January 2012, a line leader called Kamal had been stalking a young, very attractive
woman worker named Ms. Bina. Kamal was constantly pressuring her and demanding that she have
sex with him. If she would not submit, he would make her life miserable. She had one choice, he
said, have sex, or you will be fired (on trumped up charges that she was a poor worker). Ms. Bina
filed a complaint to the managing director of the Rosita factory, but received no response.
Ms. Bina then turned to the Rosita “Workers Welfare Association” for help. (Illegally, unions are
outlawed in Bangladesh’s Export Processing Zones.) Mr. Helal Uddin, president of the Workers
Welfare Association, approached management demanding that the sexual harassment of Ms. Bina be
stopped. Management responded that they would need two or three months to look into it. The end
result was that two other supervisors beat Ms. Bina and threatened anyone who had witnessed the
stalking to keep their mouth shut. Case closed.
Bina’s Letter to the Managing Director at Rosita Knitwears
To: Managing Director
Rosita Knitwears Company Ltd.
Ishwardi EPZ
Pakshi, Pabna.
Date: January 25, 2012
Dear Sir,
I the undersigned, Ms. Bina Khatun, have been working at Rosita on the third floor as
knitting operator for a long time. Unfortunately the line leader, Md. Kamal Hossain, next to
my line, proposed a nasty offer through the operator Ms. Kohinoor. For the sake of my job,
I did not respond. But Kohinoor continued to propose the same bad thing. I rejected the
offer and then Kamal propositioned me via telephone. He asked me to go to Kohinoor’s
house after the factory work was over and proposed to spend a night with him like a
husband –wife does. Considering my dignity and honor I disclosed this matter to my
guardian.
Later my guardian suggested that I place a written complaint to the company to get justice.
Therefore, I would urge you look into the matter and give proper punishment to him.
Your most obedient employee
(Signature)
Ms. Bina
Style sheets smuggled out from Rosita and Megatex factories in February 2012.
Rolling Stones’ Collaboration with Dressmann
Dressmann clothing is made in a Chinese-owned sweatshop in Bangladesh where every single labor
right is grossly violated.
Photo from Norwegian Fashion

“In an effort to renew their image and profile, Dressmann has landed a one year contract with the
legendary rock band Rolling Stones, in an effort to penetrate the global market and become a world
leading provider of suits and clothes in general.”
“The deal has secured Dressmann the rights to use old classical songs in advertisement as well as
artwork created by the Rolling Stones. A new Rolling Stone collection will also be available from
Dressmann stores in February.” (Norwegian Fashion, January 17, 2011)

“Make Poverty History”: Dressmann stores are part of a campaign—“Make Poverty History”—
and sell wrist bands to raise awareness of global poverty.

Dressmann/Varner Group has a Code of Conduct regarding Best Ethical Practices. Varner Group
is affiliated with:
 Ethical Trading Initiative Norway
 Businesses for Social Responsibility (BSR)

Varner Group has approximately 400 supplier factories.... “Manufacturers are therefore
continuously monitored and controlled.”
No Union Allowed
The massive Export Processing Zones across Bangladesh are in direct violation of the ILO’s
internationally recognized worker rights standards, including freedom of association and the rights to join
a union and bargain collectively. The ILO also prohibits forced labor, which is the norm at Rosita and
Megatex.
Instead, the Bangladeshi Government only recognizes what are called “Workers Welfare Associations,”
which are meant to be extremely weak, with no right to organize an independent union or bargain
collectively.
This is what happened to the “Workers Welfare Association” at the Chinese-owned Rosita and
Megatex sweatshops:
The Strike
Just a few months earlier, the leaders of the Workers Welfare Association were re-elected in a landslide
victory. An estimated 95 percent of the 5,000 workers at the Rosita and Megatex plants had cast their
ballots, with President Helal Uddin and the other officers winning over 75 percent of the vote.
On the day of the election, the administrative manager for the two plants, Mr. Nirob, blocked President
Helal from campaigning—which would have been the normal procedure. Nirob had security guards lock
Mr. Helal in the Rosita factory. But he still won by a landslide against management’s proposed
candidate. All the workers looked up to
Mr. Helal Uddin. “Helal is our voice,”
the workers told us.
The workers conducted a peaceful work
stoppage on Sunday, January 29, 2012.
It was management’s illegal firing of
over 50 workers in the previous few
days, without cause or notice, that
sparked the protest. But this was just
the tip of the iceberg: For the last three
years,
the
workers
had
been
systematically cheated of their overtime
pay, their vacation pay, holidays and
more.
November, December and
January are also slow season for sweater
makers, a time when the workers’
salaries plummet. It was a simple enough demand. The workers desperately needed and demanded that
they be paid the $107.10 in vacation benefits due them. (Over the last three and a half years, management
had robbed the 5,000 workers of $460,000 in vacation pay due them.) If they were at least paid their
vacation benefits, their families could make it through the slow season.
The workers were at the breaking point, with their backs against the wall. That Sunday, the President of
the Workers Welfare Association, Helal Uddin, and its General Secretary, Masud Rana, presented Rosita
management with a list of 22 demands to bring management into compliance with the labor law.
Management responded by offering the workers just 40 percent of the legal vacation pay they were owed.
But the workers could not even count on this offer. On January 29, 2012, the Rosita factory paid Mr.
Helal Uddin, for example, just 810 taka ($9.82) and Mr. Khalil just 890 taka ($10.79) in earned leave,
which is a far cry from what they are legally owed. That same day, Mr. Nirob publicly threatened Mr.
Helal saying he would be punished for taking the workers out on strike and daring to make demands.
Nirob said: “You will see just how great a leader Helal is!”
The Sunday passed quietly, but the following Monday, January 30, was different. The workers returned
to the factories but refused to work, calling a sit-down strike.
Whenever the workers tried to reason with Nirob, he would respond: “Don’t come to complain to me.
Just get out, go home, you’re fired. If you keep talking, I’ll call the police.”
At 8:00 a.m. that morning, Mr. Helal and several other officers of the Workers Welfare Association went
to Nirob’s office to meet.
Nirob had hired six gang members—outside thugs referred to as “muscle-men,”—who were waiting with
Nirob in his office. The minute Mr. Helal and the other labor leaders entered the office, the thugs, one of
them a man named Mr. Biplob, started to beat them with bamboo sticks, also kicking and punching them.
The leaders were thrown out of the office. The Vice President of the Workers Welfare Association, Mr.
Akash Mahmud, and another executive officer, Mr. Dilu Miah, were badly beaten and had to be
hospitalized.
News immediately spread to all 5,000 workers. To protect their leaders they raced up to the second and
third floors. In anger at the beatings, the workers broke some windows, threw some stones and
overturned several motorcycles in the courtyard.
The workers told us they saw the hired gang members along with factory line supervisors overturning
several work benches and machines, and breaking some computers. The damage was not extensive, but it
was enough to bring false charges against the most outspoken workers. A hundred police, including some
from the elite Rapid Action Battalion, also stormed the Rosita and Megatex plants. Many workers were
beaten by the police, who later responded to the press that the workers were “injured while they were
vandalizing the factories.”
Workers were chanting: “We want Nirob out! He is a criminal! He exploits us. We will not continue
to work until Nirob resigns or gets kicked out.”
On January 30, Chinese management posted a notice that the factories would be closed until February 5.
Then, on Sunday night, February 5 at 7:30 p.m., Mr. Helal Uddin, President of the Workers Welfare
Association of the Rosita factory, was arrested in front of the Export Processing Zone and imprisoned in
the Pabna District jail. Five other workers, General Secretary Masud Rana and activists Shamin, Shadul,
Likhor and Sabuj, had been taken from their homes at 1:00 a.m. on February 3 and imprisoned.
As soon as the workers were paid in February, every worker gave 50 taka (61 cents) to help free their
labor leaders. In Rosita alone, the 2,500 workers contributed $1516 to hire attorneys to free the leaders.
The following day Megatex workers did the same.
As of February 5, hundreds more workers were fired without cause. The first 291 workers have
already been fired and management is threatening to terminate 250 more people. Hundreds of
workers demonstrated in front of the Ishwardi Export Processing Zone.
The Rosita and Megatex plants briefly re-opened on Sunday, February 19, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.,
but were then closed for several days.
On February 14 the association’s General Secretary Masud Rana and four other activists were released on
bail. On Saturday, February 20, after 15 days of imprisonment, Helal was finally released as well. But
all six workers still face charges.
On February 21, two local newspapers in Bangladesh, Saptahik Ishwardi and
Hello Ishwardi, reported on the protest. The headline of the first article reads,
“Human chain demanding release of imprisoned workers and reinstatement of
all fired workers.”
News Caption: 291 workers terminated at Ishwardi EPZ// Human Chain.
Hello Ishwardi. Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Photo caption: Human Chain of Rosita Knitwear and Megatex Workers
Staff Reporter:
There has been more labor unrest at the two Chinese (Hong Kong) owned factories
namely Rosita Knitwear and Megatex as 291 workers were unjustly fired.
According to workers, Mr. Nahid Akther Nirob, Bengali administration manager of
the two factories involved in massive corruption, unethical practices, indecent
behavior with women workers, and illegally cutting money from workers wages.
This caused labor unrest in the factories and violations erupted. Workers were sued
and imprisoned.
The management temporarily closed both the factories. After 15-18 days of closure
of the factories the management arbitrarily fired 291 workers. The workers of Rosita
Knitwear and Megatex formed a 1.5 km long Human Chain on Sunday, February 19
from 10.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. at Rup Pur Pakar Circle. They demanded the
reinstatement of the fired workers, withdraw of all false charges against them, and
termination of the corrupt manager, Nahid Akther Nirob, along with a charter of 22
demands. The human chain was formed under the banner of Worker’s Welfare
Association. In the human chain the speakers were WWA Vice President Mr.
Habibur Rahman, Mr. Akash Ali, Asst. G S Mr. Mostafizur Rahman Shahin and
women’s secretary Ms. Nargis Akther, etc. It is mentionable here that workers
damaged the factories because of the labor unrest. The company filed two cases
against the workers and fired 291 workers from both the factories.
The Sweatshop Model
On February 19, the workers told us, “Today management is threatening
the workers that if we continue to raise questions and try to negotiate
they will shut the factories down permanently.”
Ms. Meghi, the Chinese production manager, has often threatened the
workers: “Don’t try to bargain with me. If you don’t like what you get,
you’ll lose your job. Don’t ask any questions.”
An informant leaked to us that millions of dollars of upgraded machinery
has recently been installed at Rosita and Megatex. Management is lying
when it threatens that the factories will be shuttered.
Ms. Meghi,
production manager
“BHS” and “Mix” labels smuggled out of the Rosita and Megatex factories in 2012.
“Marie Lund” label is owned by the high-end
clothing retailer, Peek&Cloppenburg KG of
Hamburg in Germany. Peek&Cloppenburg also
owns Van Graaf, which has retail stores in Austria,
the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, where
the “Marie Lund” label is also sold.
“Smart Set” sweater made in 2010. “Smart
Set” is a fashion retail store in Canada,
owned by Reitmans Ltd.
“BHS”, or British Home Stores, is owned by the Arcadia Group which
also owns Topshop and other brands in United Kingdom. BHS sweaters
are sold at £20-35 (USD$30-56).
“Mix” is exclusively sold at Coles, a supermarket chain owned by
Wesfarmers in Australia.
“Celio*Club”, “Dressmann”, “de Bijenkorf” and “Fynch-Hatton” labels smuggled out of the
Rosita and Megatex factories in March 2012.
Celio*Club is a line of Celio, which is a menswear company in France with
1000 stores in 70 countries, including 500 in France, selling over 35 million
items every year. Celio* sweaters are sold at €30-60 (USD$40-78).
Fynch-Hatton is a
German menswear
company. FynchHatton sweaters are
sold at £50-60
(USD$78-94).
De Bijenkorf is a chain
of fashion department
stores in Netherlands.
Dressmann is a
fashion chain for
menswear, a part of
the Varner Group.
Addenda
A. Company Profiles
Peek&Cloppenburg KG Hamburg
Peek&Cloppenburg KG Hamburg owns department stores in Germany as well as the Van Graaf
international chain in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Switzerland. The “Marie Lund
Copenhagen” and “Brookshire” labels are sold in both department store chains.
Peek&Cloppenburg KG Hamburg
Mönckebergstraße 8
20095 Hamburg
Germany
Phone: 49-40-3396702
Fax: 49-40-33967104
[email protected]
www.peek-und-cloppenburg.de/
CEO: James Cloppenburg
BHS (British Home Stores)
BHS is one of the oldest retail chains in United Kingdom, with
185 department stores in Britain and 18 stores in 17 countries
elsewhere across Europe and the Middle East with an estimated
one million-plus customers entering BHS stores each week.
BHS is owned by the Arcadia Group, which also owns Topshop
and other brands in UK.
Arcadia Group, Ltd.
Colegrave House, 70 Berners St.
London W1T 3NL, United Kingdom
Phone: 44 20 7927 1484
0844 243 0000
Fax: 44 20 7927 0577
www.arcadiagroup.co.uk
2011 Revenue: £2.68billion
($4.25billion USD)
CEO: Ian Grabiner
2011 salary: £1.9 million ($3.01M)
BHS (British Home Stores)
129-137 Marylebone Road
London, NW1 5QD
United Kingdom
Phone: 44 2072 623 288 / 0845 196 0000
www.bhs.co.uk
Dressmann
The Dressmann men’s fashion chain is part of the
Varner Group. As of 2010, Varner Group had over
1,162 stores in 9 countries, including Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, England,
Iceland, Poland and Latvia
Dressmann
Dressmann AS
Pb 124, 1376 Billingstad, Norge, Norway
Phone: +47 66 77 31 00
Sales (2010): €370,000,000
(USD$489.07million)
General Manager: Petter Varner
Varner Group
Postboks 124, Bergervn. 5, 1376 Billingstad
Norway
Phone: +47 66 77 31 00
Fax: +47 66 77 34 85
CEO: Marius Varner
Operating Income (2010): €1.15billion
(USD$1.52billion)
Coles
“Mix” is the label the Australian supermarket chain, Coles.
Coles, one of Australia’s largest supermarket chains with 741
full-service stores across the country, is owned by Wesfarmers
Ltd, itself one of Australia’s largest companies, which also
owns Australia’s Target and Kmart stores, along with a variety
of other retail outlets.
Coles
PO Box 2000
Glen Iris VIC 3146, Australia
Phone: 1800 061 562
www.coles.com.au
2011 Revenue: AUD $32.1billion
(USD $34.7billion)
Managing Director: Ian McLeod
2011 total salary package: AUD$15.6million (USD$16.67million)
Wesfarmers, Ltd.
Level 11, Wesfarmers House,
40 The Esplanade
Perth, Western Australia 6000
Australia
Phone: (+618) 9327 4211
Fax: (+618) 9327 4216
[email protected]
www.wesfarmers.com.au
2011 Revenue: AUD $54.875billion
(USD $59.249billion)
Managing Director: Richard Goyder
2011 salary: AUD$6.9million (USD$7.37million)
Celio
Celio is a menswear company with 1,000 stores, 500 in France
where the company is based, 500 outside the country. In 2010,
Celio had sales of €460 million ($603.47 million USD).
Celio stores can be found in 70 countries including Albania,
Andorra, Armenia, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Congo, Croatia, Cypress,
Egypt, Estonia, France (500 stores), Gabon, Georgia, Greece,
Equatorial Guinea, India, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, New
Caledonia, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
Celio France SAS
21 Rue Blanqui, 93400 Saint-Ouen, France
Phone: +33 1 49 48 13 00
Fax: +33 01 48 74 59 54
[email protected]
CEO: Christian Pimont
de Bijenkorf
Founded in 1870 in Amsterdam, de Bijenkorf
is a chain of 12 upscale department stores in
the Netherlands. De Bijenkorf is owned by
the same family which owns Selfridges&Co.
in UK, Holt Renfrew in Canada, and Brown
Thomas in Ireland.
de Bijenkorf
1102 AN Amsterdam Zuidoost,
Frankemaheerd 6
Hoogoorddreef 11
Phone: 0800-0818
[email protected]
Selfridges Group, Ltd.
22 St Clair Ave E Suite 2001
Toronto, ON M4T 2S3, Canada
Phone: (416) 967-7923
Fax: 4169677994
Fynch-Hatton Textilhandelsgesellschaft mbH
Fynch-Hatton’s branding is derived
from big-game hunter Denys Finch
Hatton, whose life was “synonymous
with freedom and adventure.” FynchHatton is sold in department stores
including Peek&Cloppenburg.
Fynch-Hatton
Alsstr. 166
D-41063 Mönchengladbach
Germany
Phone: +49 (2161) 56745-0
Fax: +49 (2161) 56745-19
www.fynch-hatton.de
[email protected]
Smart Set
Smart Set is a fashion retail chain with 158 stores in
Canada “for style-savvy young women” aged 25 to
35. Smart Set is owned by Reitmans, one of the
largest retailers in Canada.
Reitmans, Ltd.
250 Suave St. West
Montreal, QC H3L 1Z2
Canada
Phone: 514 384 1140
Fax: 514 385 2669
www.reitmans.ca
2011 Revenue: CAD $1.07billion
(USD $1.08billion)
Chairman & CEO: Jeremy H. Reitman 2011 total salary: CAD $1.245million (USD $1.241M)
B. Ethical Codes of Conduct
Peek&Cloppenburg KG Hamburg
“We show what we stand for and what is important to
us: not necessarily to profit the most, but to be the one
that uses responsibility and respect to continually
create something better.”
“Our collaboration with manufacturers is based on
rigorous principles: assuring flawless compliance with
labor law and ecology-oriented requirements plays a
definitive role in the development of our partnerships.
We inflict penalties for violation without reservation.”
Source: Peek&Cloppenburg KG and Van Graaf
Wesfarmers Ltd, owner of Coles
“Wesfarmers places a high priority on its sustainability and community responsibilities....
Sustainability Principles include: “Providing a safe and secure work environment for all our employees,
customers and other stakeholders”... “In terms of workplace relations, we recognise the right of those
we employ to negotiate either individually or collectively”... “There has never been a time when
responsible and ethical behaviour has been more critical for our organisation.”
Source: Wesfarmer Sustainability, Sustainability Report 2010 and 2011
de Bijenkorf
De Bijenkorf is a member of Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI).
“No discrimination on grounds of gender, age, religion, race, caste, of social background, disability,
ethnic or national origin, nationality, membership employees of organizations including unions, political
affiliation, sexual orientation or any other personal characteristics is not allowed. This is in accordance
with ILO Conventions 100, 111, 143, 158, 159, 169 and 183.”
Source: de Bijenkorf Corporate Social Responsibility
Reitmans, owner of Smart Set
“Reitmans (Canada) Limited is committed to conducting its business in accordance with ethical
standards and the countries local labor laws in which it does business.”
“Manufacturers and their subcontractors are expected to treat all workers with respect and dignity and
provide them with a safe and healthy environment. Workers must not be subjected to corporal punishment
or any other form of physical, psychological, sexual or verbal harassment.”
Source: Reitmans Code of Conduct for Suppliers
Arcadia Group, owner of BHS
“At Arcadia, Freedom of Association is one of our main projects because we believe that worker
representation and dialogue with management is fundamental to empowering workers to improve their
working conditions.”
“When customers buy our goods we want them to be confident that they have been produced under
acceptable conditions. That means the goods must have been produced: lawfully, through fair and honest
dealing; without exploiting the people who made them; in decent working conditions; and without
damaging the environment.”
“Each supplier must complete a factory set-up form, which includes our code of conduct. The supplier
signs each section of this document to acknowledge that they have received it, that they understand and
will comply with each section of the code.”
Source: Arcadia Group Ethical Trading and Code of Conduct & Guidebook
Arcadia Group suppliers’ pledge:
Varner Group, owner of Dressmann
Dressmann sells “Make Poverty History” Campaign bracelets in their stores. Dressmann and Varner
Group are members of the Ethical Trading Initiative Norway (IEH) and Business for Social
Responsibility (BSR).
“Recognizing our social and environmental responsibility is fundamental to the success of our
company. Our long‐term success depends on our ability to balance profit‐making objectives with
societal needs and to meet our customers’ new requirements for good business practice.”
“We aim to achieve commercial success together with our suppliers and manufacturers in ways
that respect ethical values, human and labour rights and the natural environment.”
“The code means that everyone involved in production for us must have the right to good and safe
working conditions, in accordance with accepted human rights, legislation and regulations (UN's
human rights and the International Labour Organisation's (ILO's) - core conventions).”
Source: Varner Group Supplier Requirements Manual Part. IV. Code of Conduct and Dressmann Ethical Responsibility
C. Rosita Knitwears Handbook on Service
A HANDBOOK ON SERVICE
Rosita Knitwears (PVT) LTD.
Minimum wages and benefits
Grade
1
2
3
4
5
Job Title
Trainee
Helper
Operator
Senior Operator
Highest Skill
Monthly Minimum Wage (US$)
$ 39 per month [19 cents an hour]
$ 55 per month [25 cents an hour]
$ 61 per month [29 cents an hour]
$ 67 per month [32 cents an hour]
$ 107 per month [51 cents an hour]
Hours
Regular working hours: 8 hours
Maximum overtime:
2 hours
Maximum day:
10 hours
Overtime must be paid at a 100% premium
Holiday Leave
Casual leave:
Sick days:
Earned leave:
Festival leave:
10 days
14 days at half pay
17 days
11 days
Yearly Wage Increase
A 10 percent salary increase each year (on basic wage).
Attendance Bonus
Workers who do not miss a single work day in a month will receive a 150 taka [$1.82] monthly
attendance bonus.
Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights
(formerly National Labor Committee)
5 Gateway Center, 6th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, U.S.A.
Office +1 412.562.2406 | Fax +1 412.562.2411
[email protected] | www.globallabourrights.org