Uniqlo to help improve worker conditions in Asia

Fast Retailing Co, the parent company of Uniqlo, has tied up with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to ensure labour protection in countries where social security systems are underdeveloped.

Uniqlo’s owner will provide $1.8 million in funding over a two-year period through to help ILO research labour markets and social security systems in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam. These are all countries where the Japanese retailer has factories.

The clothing industry has come under fire for its treatment of employees and contractors, namely working conditions and pay. Fast Retailing wants to improve transparency in the industry through measures such as disclosing the names of Uniqlo plants.

“To realize sustainable growth in Asia, it is important to ensure decent working environments and to uphold the rights of workers around the region,” said Tadashi Yanai, Chairman and CEO of Fast Retailing.

Under the partnership, Fast Retailing and ILO (part of the U.N) will also help promote employment insurance in Indonesia, where workers are at high risk of their losing jobs due to rapid changes in the industry.