Pentland Brands has produced a report on labor practices in its supply chain. Called Modern Slavery, the report reviews such criteria as geography, political stability and worker demographics to gauge the likelihood of slavery’s use in various parts of the world. Homeworkers appear to be of particular concern for the company, which has been very critical of this sort of practice for decades. To prevent or eliminate slavery, Pentland says it is continuing to operate the “Good Conscience forum” and “Business Risk committee,” both set up in previous years. It has also introduced a mandatory “modern slavery online training module” for all employees, and undertaken “regular internal training” for employees who deal with factories in the U.K., Hong Kong, Shanghai and Vietnam. Pentland is a founding member of the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI), which has promoted the company in its assessment from “improver” to “achiever,” as well as the ACT Foundation, which advocates wage increases in apparel and footwear. Pentland hopes to meet ACT’s five purchasing practice commitments before 2023 is out.

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