Clothing companies H&M, Inditex, C&A and PVH have committed to improving the lives of workers in India’s city of Bengaluru, after a report said employees lived in appalling conditions and were denied decent wages and freedom of movement. Gap Inc, which also sources apparel from Bengaluru, did not respond to the report by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), according to a statement by the Dutch non-governmental group late on Thursday. A draft of the report, Unfree and Unfair, was presented to the companies last November. The ICN report said hostels run by the Bengaluru factories lacked basic amenities such as beds and clean water, and that workers earned between €95 and €115 per month, just above the official minimum wage of €93 to €103. There are an estimated 1,200 garment factories in and around Bengaluru, making apparel for large global brands. Dutch clothing retailer C&A, Swedish retailer H&M and Spain’s Inditex, which owns the Zara and Massimo Dutti brands, will work together and liaise with local trade unions to provide training and address workers’ grievances, ICN said. Inditex will evaluate the state of workers at its suppliers and factories across India, while PVH Corp., which owns brands including Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, is developing new guidelines for its suppliers, ICN said.
