Transparentem Rejoinder – for July 2025

Justice delayed is justice denied – Apparel companies failing to fulfill promises

Transparentem is disappointed that, six months after apparel companies and some of their Taiwanese supplier companies promised that vulnerable migrant workers would be repaid for unfair recruitment fees, most of the companies still lack clear repayment plans…

Transparentem acknowledges that most of the Taiwanese textile suppliers have made positive progress on other corrective actions undertaken as a result of our investigation and several companies have strengthened their worker recruitment policies, as explained in our February report. We are also pleased that the Taiwanese Textile Federation (TTF) is working with the global apparel sector to agree on industry norms to prevent and remedy abuses in the recruitment process (see more about that effort here). But the process of agreeing on future norms cannot be an excuse to delay providing remedy for past harms.

Transparentem recently requested an update by June 30 from suppliers and from the co-leads of the groups of buyers that formed to help develop and implement solutions. Some suppliers, or buyers on behalf of suppliers, responded confirming the suppliers’ intention to reimburse workers, with new details about their reimbursement plans – although none of the suppliers had finalized its plan. Other suppliers responded without expressing a firm commitment…