"Sri Lankan workers continue two-months long strike for decent wages, while brands fail to take sufficient action", 10 April 2024

On 10 February 2024, workers of the Sumithra Hasalaka factory in Sri Lanka organised by the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees Union (FTZ & GSEU) startedstriking for a wage offer that meets their cost of living.

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The Sumithra Hasalaka factory produces clothes for brands like Superdry, ASDA, and Tom Tailor. The larger Sumithra Hasalaka factory group, which comprises of three other factories, also produces for Marks & Spencer, Dillard’s, Dunnes Stores, Huckberry, J&N Herz Ltd, and PrAna (Columbia).

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FTZ & GSEU and the Clean Clothes Campaign network started to reach out to the brands sourcing from the Sumithra Hasalaka group. They urged these brands to use their leverage to ensure the factory management stopped repression and union busting against striking workers, paid workers for the period of the strike in view of management provocation and harassment, and returned to the negotiating table with the FTZ & GSEU branch union with an improved wage offer.

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In response, several brands say they have contacted Sumithra management or have been in conversation with the union. This includes Superdry, ASDA, Tom Tailor, Marks & Spencer and prAna, who however showed varied levels of engagement. Several brands refused to interact on this topic at all until threats of public campaigning led them to send answers that still fail to indicate any decisive action. This includes Dunnes Stores, Dillard's, and Huckberry. Some, like J&N Hertz, remain silent. ⁠None of the brands have indicated how exactly they intend to use their significant leverage over the factory management to ensure fair wages and freedom of association rights in the factory group of their close business partner. In response to the trade union’s and Clean Clothes Campaign’s case group’s demand that brands enable higher wages across the factory group by paying more for the products made at Sumithra, only one brand referred to future pricing discussions. All other brands remain silent on this crucial point.