Retailer attacked over poverty pay workers
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NEWS PEG: Thursday, 14 January 2010 Primark expected to announce cold weather fuels sales triumph
Primark roasted on winter sales ‘abuse’ Retailer attacked over poverty pay workers Cheap fashion retailer Primark is today accused of profiting from increased sales amid Britain’s icy winter while leaving workers who produce its clothes out in the cold. The attack came as reports suggest Primark’s parent company this morning will announce the biggest clothes sales growth in Britain. Clive Black, analyst at the broker Shore Capital, said: “Primark will continue to outperform the market. It’s a fabulous medium-term prospect. “They’ve had strong growth and they’ve put down a platform in Iberia with stores in Spain and Portugal.” But amid bumper warm clothes sales in the chilly weather, Primark garment workers remain frozen out of its success, the charity War on Want claims. It says that during the last four months of 2009, the period covered by today’s trading statement, people making Primark clothes overseas struggled to survive on poverty pay. Despite the prosperity to be announced by Associated British Foods, workers toiled up to 84 hours a week and earned as little as £19 a month – less than half a living wage – making Primark clothes in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. The charity’s earlier report on three Primark factories in the same city just over a year ago showed workers earning as little as 7p an hour for up to 80-hour weeks. Simon McRae, senior campaigns officer at War on Want, said: “Shareholders will give a warm reception to Primark’s latest sales triumph. But these figures will get a cool response from people in suppliers’ factories abroad. It is high time Gordon Brown acted to ensure decent treatment for overseas workers producing clothes for Primark and other UK stores.” |
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