Tesco rejects claims of exploitation

Ireland’s largest supermarket chain, Tesco, has rejected claims that it is exploiting Indian textile workers. The retailer described as unsubstantiated allegations that workers at an Indian textile factory which supplies it with clothes were earning about 20 cents an hour.

In a report, the charity War on Want said employees at the unnamed site in Bangalore take home an average of less than €1.80 a day for a six-day, 54-hour week.

It said the research, which was presented at Tesco's annual general meeting in London today, showed the factory's workers were earning barely more than half a living wage.

Tesco Ireland said purchasing decisions within the company were taken centrally and referred queries to headquarters centrally.

A corporate spokesman for Tesco said it would deal with any issue that arose but would need evidence first. "It's disappointing that War on Want has once again chosen to publicise unsubstantiated allegations without engaging with us."

"We have been trying to discuss our approach to ethical trading with them for some time but they have simply ignored our calls. And now, out of the blue, they make these allegations without producing any evidence or giving us any detail on the factories they claim have problems. This means we cannot investigate."

"Once again we call on War on Want to provide the evidence and not to hide behind claims that they are protecting workers by withholding evidence. We insist on high standards and go to great lengths to ensure our suppliers meet them.

For War on Want, senior campaigns officer Simon McRae said: "Our new evidence again reveals how Tesco's cheap clothing comes at the shameful price of workers' poverty. Again and again, scandals exposing UK retailers exploiting garment workers underline that the public cannot trust stores to police themselves.