Mr. Victor Fung

Honorary Chairman

Li & Fung Limited

11/F Li Fung Tower

888 Cheung Sha Wan Road

Cheung Sha Wan

Kowloon

 

30 November 2012

 

Dear Mr. Fung

 

 

We are deeply saddened about the fire broke out at the factory of Tazreen Fashions in Dhaka last Saturday, which has caused a significant death toll.

 

Meanwhile, we would like to raise our serious concern on Li & Fung’s role in the global manufacturing. Li & Fung acts as a merchandising partner for various international brands, such as C&A, Carrefour, KIK and Walmart and hence you outsource the orders of these brands to factories, like Tazreen Fashions, for manufacturing. Although you do not operate these factories directly, we have noticed that most of these factories manufacturing on your behalf are found appallingly below national and international health and safety standards. The fire at Tazreen factory is obviously not a single and alone incidence that has associated with Li & Fung. For example, the irresponsible practices at the Hey Tekstil factory in Istanbul, Turkey is another noticeable case which the said factory failed to respond to the workers’ demands of overdue wages, severance, and notification payments. Li & Fung has inescapable responsibility to ensure that all workers and victims receive full pay and compensation in line with international standards and best practices.

 

As such we would like to remind you that you are obliged to take these national and international health and safety measures, whichever is a higher standard, at your supplier factories. We urge you to sign and implement a safety program in Bangladesh that includes independent and transparent inspections, mandatory repairs of safety hazards, and a central role for workers and trade unions to ensure daily safe practices at the workplaces. Likewise, we are demanding for the compliance information available for public scrutiny.

 

We sincerely look forward to your written reply. Should there be any enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Jason Chan, Publication and Documentation Manager on +852 2815-9003 or email at [email protected].

 

Yours sincerely

Suki Chung

Executive Director

Labour Action China

 

Endorsed and Co-signed by

Asia Monitor Resource Centre (亞洲專訊資料研究中心)

Clean Clothes Campaign

Globalization Monitor (全球化監察)

Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs (香港天主教勞工事務委員會)

Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee Limited (香港基督教工業委員會有限公司)

Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (香港職工會聯盟)

ITUC/GUF Hong Kong Liaison Office (國際工會聯盟香港聯絡處)

Justice and Peace Commission of the H.K. Catholic Diocese (香港天主教正義和平委員會)

Retail, Commerce and Clothing Industries General Union (零售、商業及成衣業總工會)

Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (大學師生監察無良企業行動)

Worker Empowerment (勞動力)

 

cc:

William Fung, Group Chairman

Bruce Rockowitz, Group President & CEO