Amazon criticized for exploiting workers in garment supply chain

The advocacy group Labour Behind the Label claims that Amazon has not addressed concerns regarding brands on its platform engaging in worker rights abuses. The group argues that Amazon has failed to implement measures to prevent harm to workers involved in producing goods sold through its marketplace, in violation of international standards.

Earlier this year, Labour Behind the Label released a report based on field research in Pakistan examining conditions for three products sold by third-party brands on Amazon.co.uk. According to the report, workers faced exploitative conditions including forced overtime, illegal wage practices, denial of social protections, lack of employment documentation, and widespread opacity in supply chains. The report emphasizes that these abuses persist due to insufficient due diligence requirements.

Campaigners are urging Amazon to take stronger action to prevent exploitation across its global supply chains. Anna Bryher, policy lead at Labour Behind the Label, stated, Amazon is the worlds largest e-commerce platform, yet it continues to ignore exploitation happening openly on its site. The company has both the power and the responsibility to stop profiting from these abuses. Immediate transparency and action are required.

The group calls for stricter rules for third-party sellers, who constitute the majority of Amazons sales. These rules should mandate transparency in supply chains and due diligence processes to ensure workers rights are protected in all factories producing goods for the platform. Campaigners highlight that as a global gatekeeper for millions of products, Amazon has a duty to ensure its profits are not linked to exploitation or environmental damage.

Bryher added, Amazon can track a package anywhere in minutes, yet it cannot inform customers if the people making the products were treated fairly or safely. This is a deliberate choice, not a technological limitation. Even basic checks could prevent exploitation across millions of items. Amazon must apply the same precision to safeguarding workers as it does to shipping parcels.

Amazon did not respond to requests for comment when approached by Just Style.

Author: Sophia Brooks