Brand Ralph Lauren is suspected of using forced Uighur labor

An investigation has been launched in Canada into fashion company Ralph Lauren Canada over allegations of forced labor for Uighurs, the Office of the Ombudsman for Corporate Accountability Canada announced Tuesday, August 15.

A complaint filed in June 2022 by a coalition of 28 Canadian organizations stated that Ralph Lauren Canada “It has supply relationships with companies that use or benefit from forced Uyghur labor.”.

initial appraisal report, Available online at the Government of Canada websiteexplains that the plaintiffs had asked the company Cut the relationships With three Chinese companies suspected of using forced Uyghur labour.

“I have determined that the complaint (…) warrants an investigation.”Moderator Sherry Mayerhofer said in a press release, explaining that every complaint is evaluated in some way. “comprehensive and effective”.

In response, the American parent company Ralph Lauren stated that it was she who oversaw “foreign activities” from its Canadian branch, adding that the Office of the Ombudsman She had no jurisdiction over the matter.says the report.

concrete evidence

On Tuesday, the Ottawa-based Uyghur Rights Project welcomed the start of the official investigation.

“There is concrete evidence that the fashion company is linked to several Chinese companies that use forced Uyghur labor in their supply chains.”The group said in a statement.

For several years, Western countries have accused Chinese authorities of detaining Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim minorities in re-education camps, after deadly attacks in the Xinjiang region.

In February 2021, Canada’s parliament passed a non-binding motion that equated China’s treatment of the Uyghur minority with it “Genocide”, which angered Beijing. The Office of the Canadian Ombudsman will also investigate mining company GobiMin, which “disputes these allegations”. Recall that the company She owns no property and has no employees in China..

A similar operation was launched last month regarding the practices of the Canadian subsidiary of giant Nike as well as mining company Dynasty Gold.