Australian fast fashion giant to keep factories secret despite modern slavery concerns

The billionaire retailer behind many of Australia’s best-known fast fashion brands won’t name the factories that make them, despite modern slavery concerns.

Billionaire retail tycoon Solomon Lew has ruled out publicly naming the garment factories his company uses, despite shareholder concerns about modern slavery.

Mr Lew chairs Premier Investments, the parent company of The Just Group behind some of Australia’s best-known fast fashion brands, including Just Jeans, Dotti, Jay Jays, Portmans and Peter Alexander.

At Premier’s annual general meeting on Thursday, Mr Lew was asked if Just Group would follow the lead of Rivers owner Mosaic Brands and make a “big step towards transparency” by releasing its factory supplier list.

Mr Lew said Premier “takes ethical sourcing extremely seriously” but it wouldn’t release the names of its garment suppliers, citing concerns about IP rights.

“We have zero tolerance for modern slavery in all its forms. We insist on workers’ legal rights, including worker empowerment and free association,” he told the meeting.

“Pertinent to releasing the supplier list – that is very sensitive information. And that’s the type of IP that belongs to the company.”

Billionaire retail tycoon Solomon Lew says naming the factories his company uses could risk its IP rights. Picture: Aaron Francis / The Australian

Premier and Mosaic, which owns other brands including Millers, Rockmans, Noni B and Katies, were named and shamed 12 months ago in a scathing Oxfam report into the ethics of Australia’s leading fashion retailers.

The report rated Myer, Premier and Mosaic as the worst three companies for labour transparency, saying they “continue to hide their supplier factory names and locations (and) refuse to make a credible, public commitment to paying living wages to their workers”.

Shareholders at the Premier AGM on Thursday heard Mosaic recently made its factory suppliers public, leaving Just Group one of the few large Australian brands not to have done so.

Christmas shoppers could be buying unethical clothing, Oxfam has warned. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui / NCA NewsWire

According to its annual report, Premier sources clothing and other products from China, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Vietnam.

The company has committed to signing a new international accord which legally protects the health and safety of workers in the textile and garment industry in Bangladesh.

Mr Lew was asked by a shareholder on Thursday when this would occur.

“The Bangladesh Government is working with the various non-government organisations to set up the correct structures,” he said in response.

“Premier will sign as soon as the agreements are in place. Auditing of factories in Bangladesh continues, and we are proud of our strong ethical sourcing standards.”

Jay Jays, Just Jeans, Peter Alexander and Myer all made Oxfam’s 2021 “naughty list” of brands who the charity says are yet to take any steps towards paying garment workers a living wage.

Myer has been contacted for comment.