High street fashion retailer, Gap, has defended its working policies after accusations of child labour through a contracted vendor in India.
It follows a report in The Observer by an investigative reporter based in Delhi, of child labour at a facility that produced a Gap product for children.
Video footage showed children who appeared to be between the ages of 10 and 13, stitching embroidered shirts with the Gap label on and in poor working conditions.
Gap has since ordered an investigation into the allegations. It said it employed 90 people to ensure compliance with a Code of Vendor Conduct.
It said in a statement: “We strictly prohibit the use of child labour. This is a non-negotiable for us – and we are deeply concerned and upset by this allegation. As we’ve demonstrated in the past, Gap has a history of addressing challenges like this head-on, and our approach to this situation will be no exception.
“As soon as we were alerted to this situation, we stopped the work order and prevented the product from being sold in stores.
“Gap Inc. has one of the industry’s most comprehensive programmes in place to fight for workers’ rights overseas. We will continue to work with the government, NGOs, trade unions, and other stakeholder organisations in an effort to end the use of child labour.”
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