"Boohoo accused of ‘face-saving’ changes post-Panorama scandal"

Areport from the University of Bath, titled ‘What happened after the Boohoo scandal?’, used interviews with workers, manufacturers and civil society representatives in Leicester, UK to hear their experiences after the closure of hundreds of manufacturing sites following a 2020 BBC Panorama investigation.

[...]

Funded by UKTI, the report claims that thousands of people, often vulnerable South Asian migrants, have been left without work during the cost-of-living crisis as a result of Boohoo’s decision to move its manufacturing out of Leicester.

In response to allegations in 2020, the UK government launched ‘Operation Tacit’. It concluded that while there were no signs of modern slavery at the factories, there were issues around low pay and worker health and safety.

Professor Vivek Soundararajan, report author and researcher at the University of Bath’s school of management, said: “Allegations of modern slavery, which were unfounded, obscured the root causes of worker exploitation, including manipulative procurement by fast fashion brands and lack of labour law regulation.”

The news comes shortly after a further BBC Panorama investigation alleged that Boohoo staff had pressured suppliers to drive down prices, even after deals had been agreed.

The researchers argue that this latest investigation shows that the changes made in 2020 were “face-saving” and “surface deep”.

[...]

In response to the report, a spokesperson from Boohoo told Just Style: “It is widely acknowledged that there have been significant improvements in standards across the Leicester garment manufacturing industry in recent years.

“We’re proud of the role our Agenda for Change programme has played in driving the industry forward and we continue to work constructively with our suppliers to make sure the people who make our clothes have their rights in the workplace protected.”

[...]