Canada香蕉视频直播檚 corporate-ethics watchdog is investigating if Walmart, Hugo Boss and Diesel have forced labour in their supply chains.
Sheri Meyerhoffer, the Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, issued three reports today saying none of the companies have done enough to demonstrate the products they sell in Canada are free of slave labour.
The Canadian subsidiaries of all three companies are accused of relying on suppliers who source materials from Uyghur people forced to work in China香蕉视频直播檚 Xinjiang region.
Walmart Canada Corp.,Hugo Boss Canada Inc.and Diesel Canada Inc.all say they uphold strong anti-slavery protocols and investigate the source of their products, but Meyerhoffer said none provided enough information about specific allegations.
She said the main challenge is that products from Xinjiang are often processed in other countries, meaning that imports from countries like Vietnam could involve forced Chinese labour if they香蕉视频直播檙e not carefully traced.
Meyehoffer said she香蕉视频直播檚 probing Walmart Canada because the company would only say that it avoids forced labour and had removed products made in Xinjiang from its stores. The company did not respond to documented allegations that Walmart is relying on specific clothing and textile firms that operate in that region using forced Uyghur labour.
香蕉视频直播淲hile Walmart Canada generally denied the allegations in the complaint, it did not provide a specific response,香蕉视频直播� Meyerhoffer wrote, noting that Walmart opted against a dispute-resolution process.
Meyerhoffer noted that Hugo Boss doesn香蕉视频直播檛 seem to use the level of fibre-tracing technology needed to ensure due diligence in a region widely exposed to cotton from Xinjiang.
In its response, the company noted it scrutinizes its 香蕉视频直播渄irect suppliers,香蕉视频直播� which concerned Meyerhoffer since its goods from Vietnam or Singapore could rely on various Chinese materials. 香蕉视频直播淗ugo Boss香蕉视频直播� response does not appear to consider fully the complex nature of the garment supply chain,香蕉视频直播� she wrote.
Hugo Boss also noted a European rights group failed to gather enough evidence to convince German courts to hear allegations the firm had illegally benefited from Uyghur forced labour.
Meanwhile, Meyerhoffer took Diesel to task over what she deemed to be vague statements about its internal reviews of its supply chains, which she said didn香蕉视频直播檛 indicate the timeline, scope or findings of such a review.
She noted the company香蕉视频直播檚 insistence that it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 source cotton from the Xinjiang region isn香蕉视频直播檛 sufficient to ensure suppliers in other countries aren香蕉视频直播檛 using such fibres.
香蕉视频直播淒iesel Canada provided two brief responses to the complaint, did not provide any response to multiple requests for an initial assessment meeting and did not provide any comments on the draft initial assessment report,香蕉视频直播� reads Meyerhoffer香蕉视频直播檚 report.
香蕉视频直播淒iesel Canada香蕉视频直播檚 failures to respond 香蕉视频直播� and to engage with the CORE for an initial assessment meeting raise questions about its transparency.香蕉视频直播�
Meyerhoffer said all three companies did not comply in her investigations.
She wrote that Walmart Canada questioned her jurisdiction, and provided general information that didn香蕉视频直播檛 speak to the specific allegations. 香蕉视频直播淭he company representatives also questioned what Walmart Canada would have to gain from participating in the process,香蕉视频直播� Meyerhoffer wrote.
Hugo Boss took issue with an April 2022 media report that named the firm among 14 companies in a complaint alleging the use of forced labour in China. The company claimed that the media report violated the ombudsperson香蕉视频直播檚 rules on confidentiality, and requested the complainants and Meyerhoffer sign a non-disclosure agreement.
The company also took issue with Canada香蕉视频直播檚 freedom-of-information laws, which allow Canadians to learn about the workings of their government but generally exempt confidential corporate information. Hugo Boss 香蕉视频直播渄id not respond to multiple requests to meet,香蕉视频直播� Meyerhoffer wrote.
Her office says Hugo Boss was the only firm she香蕉视频直播檚 investigated so far that raised issues with the April 2022 media report, and she said the company refused offers to meet until Meyerhoffer had drafted a report.
The Canadian Press has reached out to all three firms for comment.
A spokeswoman for Walmart Canada noted that none of the subsidiaries named in the complaint 香蕉视频直播渁re in our active disclosed supply chain.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淥ur policies are diligently enforced,香蕉视频直播� wrote Sarah Kennedy. 香蕉视频直播淲almart Canada respects CORE香蕉视频直播檚 mandate and will continue to ensure our standards and corporate mandate are being upheld.香蕉视频直播�
Hugo Boss reiterated much of its response to Meyerhoffer, with spokesman Matthias Jekosch noting the company no longer buys from the Chinese supplier cited in the complaint.
香蕉视频直播淗ugo Boss does not source any goods in its direct supply relationship that originate from the Xinjiang region,香蕉视频直播� he wrote. 香蕉视频直播淎s a matter of principle, we do not tolerate forced or compulsory labour or any form of modern slavery.香蕉视频直播�
All seven of the initial assessments the ombudsperson has announced so far relate to accusations of forced labour involving the Uyghur people.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa maintains that Beijing does not allow modern-day slavery, and that claims otherwise are based on lines meant to constrain China香蕉视频直播檚 development.
The United Nations found in mid-2022 that China had committed 香蕉视频直播渟erious human rights violations香蕉视频直播� against Uyghurs and other Muslim communities that 香蕉视频直播渕ay constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.香蕉视频直播� Beijing has disputed this report.
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