Fashion brand Boohoo has been reportedly dropped by three major online retailers, comprising Asos, Next, and Zalando, citing allegations of low pay and unsafe working conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A workers’ rights group, Labour Behind the Label, had earlier alleged Boohoo of forcing some employees at the company’s supplier factories in Leicester to come for work while sick with SARS-Cov-2. Boohoo had clarified, at the time, that it would not tolerate any occurrence of non-compliance, especially regarding the treatment of workers within the supply chain.

With regards to the current allegations, the company has denied any responsibility, having said that it has thoroughly investigated the claims. The company has further stated that it is not reluctant to immediately terminate relationships with any supplier who is not found to be compliant with the letter and spirit of Boohoo’s supplier code of conduct.

According to a Next spokesman, the retailer has already removed Boohoo and Pretty Little Things branded items from all of its websites. He has further stated that Next has initiated its own investigation over the allegations, adding that the outcome of this process is not being pre-judged. The company has also clarified that it has not made any final decision till date and has decided to suspend all Boohoo labels from its websites.

Further, Asos has also ordered a temporary suspension of its relationship with all Boohoo brands. The Berlin-based online fashion store, Zalando, has also made a decision to delist all Boohoo products, further suspending all new businesses with Boohoo Group. Zalando considers the safety and health of its workers to be its prime responsibility and has introduced strict preventative measures to ensure the safety of its employees. Also, the company expects its partners to apply similar fundamental priorities and intends to distance itself from those businesses who do not follow the same.
 

Source Credits: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53327628