Fashion retailer Quiz suspends supplier amid ‘concern’ over low wage allegations
Fashion retailer Quiz has suspended a supplier amid allegations workers at one of its factories are being paid as little as £3 an hour.
Last week, fashion company Boohoo announced it had launched a review into its supply chain after claims of exploitation were made against a supplier in Leicester.
It was reported that some factory workers were being paid far below minimum wage, in addition to working in an environment that did not provide adequate safety measures to protect against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The living wage for workers over the age of 25 is £8.72 an hour in the UK, more than double the amount workers were allegedly being paid.
Over the weekend, The Times reported that workers at a supplier, based in Leicester, for Quiz were being paid a similarly low amount for their wages.
In a statement released on Monday morning, the retailer stated that it was “currently investigating the reported allegations, which if found to be accurate are totally unacceptable”.
“From our initial review, we believe that one of Quiz’s suppliers based in Leicester has used a subcontractor in direct contravention of a previous instruction from Quiz,” the fashion brand said.
“It is this subcontractor that is subject of the national living wage complaint. Quiz has immediately suspended activity with the supplier in question pending further investigation.”
Quiz added that it is “very grateful to the press for highlighting these alleged breaches”.
The retailer has more than 70 stores across the UK, in addition to 174 concessions at department stores, with more than 1,500 employees in the UK and Ireland.
Tarak Ramzan, chief executive of the firm, expressed his disappointment over the low wage allegations made against its supplier.
“We are extremely concerned and disappointed to be informed of the alleged breach of national living wage requirements in a factory making Quiz products,” he said.
“The alleged breaches to both the law and Quiz’s ethnical code of practice are totally unacceptable.”
Mr Ramzan added that the company is “thoroughly investigating this incident and will also conduct a fuller review of our supplier auditing processes to ensure that they are robust”.
“We will update out stakeholders in due course,” he stated.
The Independent previously contacted Boohoo for comment amid allegations of exploitation by a supplier.
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