Stefan and I both watched last night’s excellent BBC investigation into the use of child labour in the making of some clothes sold by Primark, the discount retailer present in Ireland, the UK and Spain.

Primark took action to address the failings exposed by the show before it was aired. Last week, it said it would stop buying clothes from three Indian factories that had, without Primark’s knowledge, used unapproved sub-contractors that in some cases employed children.

But did it act too hastily? War on Want, the charity, has criticised Primark for sacking the three suppliers, arguing that such a move unfairly threatened the jobs of lowly workers. The ethical lapses were, in its opinion, an inevitable consequence of the fast fashion business model.

A Primark director has issued an angry justification of its action, saying the company had been deceived. “The relationship was broken,” she said, adding that it was “extremely sad” that innocent staff would be affected, and that the move was only taken as a last resort.

Do companies such as Primark have a responsibility in poor countries to retain and retrain suppliers that fail to meet their ethical standards? We’d like to hear what readers think.

June 24, 2008 1:12pm in Governance/CSR | Comment