Everest Apparel

The WRC documented several serious labor rights violations at Everest Apparel, a factory located in Ethiopia. These included: unlawful wage deductions, failure to provide a weekly rest day, mandatory overtime, verbal abuse, restrictions on paid statutory leave, suppression of workers’ right to freedom of association, and unsafe factory temperatures. The WRC shared our findings and recommendations for remediation to the licensee, Cutter & Buck, and Decathlon, which sources non-collegiate apparel from the factory. Cutter & Buck informed the WRC that it had taken the decision to discontinue its sourcing relationship with Everest Apparel prior to our engagement with the factory and the licensee, but it agreed to withhold its final payment to the factory until management took the necessary remedial action.

After our engagement with the factory and the licensee, Everest Apparel remedied the violations by: committing to pay workers back wages for the unlawful deductions, changing the work schedule to ensure workers received a weekly rest day, issuing a policy that overtime is voluntary, hiring a consultant to train managers and supervisors on how to motivate workers without resorting to verbal abuse, removing restrictions on taking paid leave, allowing access to the trade union confederation to workers, and installing fans in the ironing section where factory temperatures were unsafe.

Read More:

• WRC Findings Recommendations and Company Response Everest Apparel (Ethiopia) – July 31, 2024