Oxfam Australia releases list of clothing brands secretive about supply chains

MOVE over Santa — Oxfam Australia has made its own “Naughty or Nice” list to help shoppers make ethical choices about the clothes they purchase. So which brands make the grade?

H & M has made Oxfam Australia’s “Nice” list this year.

MOVE over Santa — Oxfam Australia has made its own “Naughty or Nice” list to help shoppers make informed, ethical choices about the clothes they purchase.

Released today, the list highlights clothing brands which publish the names and locations of the factories which make their garments, and shames those which don’t.

Brands which made this year’s “Naughty” list were international juggernauts Uniqlo, Topshop and Zara, plus Best & Less, Just Jeans, Peter Alexander, Gorman, Dangerfield and online store ASOS.

Oxfam noted ASOS had taken “significant steps” towards transparency with a commitment to publish its full top tier factory list in the future.

To make the “Nice” list, a company had to publish at least 70 per cent of the factory names and locations where their clothes were made on their parent company’s website.

But Australian fashion label Gorman has disputed Oxfam’s methodology in determining “Naughty” brands, saying it had had met with the charity in October to discuss ways of improving transparency.

The brand said is had suggested sharing its supply chain with labour rights organisations, which would not require them to expose their outsourcing arrangements to their competitors.

“Gorman team have worked closely with their manufacturers on the development of techniques, trims and treatments that are key to Gorman’s point-of-difference in the marketplace,” a statement from the company said.

“We are currently not prepared to share this information with our competitors.”

Gorman said it had also suggested releasing their list of suppliers to Oxfam on the proviso it was not shared, and had invited the organisation to join them on factory visits to India and China.

“Oxfam did not take on board any of our suggestions this time, but we look forward to continuing the dialogue in the future,” Gorman’s statement said.

The “Nice” list has grown since Oxfam published a similar list in April this year.

Oxfam’s naughty or nice list.

Oxfam Australia chief executive Helen Szoke said 10 of the most popular fashion retailers in Australia were now making the grade on transparency in their supply chains.

“Nice” brands included Kmart, Target, Coles, Big W, Gap and H&M.

Of note, Cotton On crossed over from the dark side to now make the “Nice” list while Pacific Brands — which owns Bonds, Holeproof and Jockey — Forever New and Jeanswest had also improved in transparency.

Dr Szoke said publishing factory lists was good for workers and brands.

“It allows workers themselves and organisations like Oxfam to find and raise issues relating to underpayment, safety and excessive overtime much more easily,” Dr Szoke said.

“This means problems are more likely to be addressed quickly, which is a win-win.”

Dr Szoke said an Oxfam study into conditions in Myanmar last year showed garment workers were working on average 11 hours a day, six days a week, yet were being paid poverty wages.

“(They were) left without enough money to afford proper housing or food, health and education for them and their families,” she said.

“Without knowing where our clothes are coming from, we cannot be sure even basic human rights are being respected.”