A new report by Transparentem has brought forth worrying allegations of child labour, abusive working conditions and wage violations at Indian cotton farms linked to 60 global brands. The organisation’s initial investigation began in 2022 and ran until March 2023, with the report further underlining companies’ efforts to remediate the issues as of January 2025.
The findings particularly address the raw material level of the apparel supply chain at three cotton farms, where “alarming indicators of forced labour” prompted Transparentem to engage with associated suppliers and buyers to advance remediation strategies. At the crux, the organisation said it was aiming to extend social compliance efforts to the raw materials level, helping companies to safeguard vulnerable workers in the cotton sector from exploitation.
The most concerning of the findings was that of child labour, with investigators documenting numerous cases of children younger than 14 working on farms despite India prohibiting it. Some of these workers were also exposed to health risks from handling pesticides or working on farms after pesticides had been sprayed, resulting in health issues. Transparentem said the findings “highlight how economic hardship forces many children to miss or abandon school to support their families”.
Matalan, Chico’s and Skechers accused of ignoring requests to engage
Other issues raised by the report included debt bondage, an indicator of forced labour; wage violations, such as unpredictable payments or withheld wages; and abusive working conditions, like threatening behaviour or a lack of necessary facilities. Transparentum said that the findings “underscore the need for stronger verification processes and adherence to organic standards to ensure compliance with environmental and ethical commitments in cotton production”.
Upon learning of the findings, the organisation noted all suppliers and over half of the contacted buyers formed working groups or began individual efforts to address labour concerns within their supply chains. Transparentum did name some brands that did not respond or engage at length with requests, however. These included Gerry Weber, Matalan Retail Limited, Skechers, TJX Companies and Chico’s, which claimed to not have used cotton from the investigated area but did not supply documentation to support this.
