Following the investigation of episodes of violence in the premises of two Chittagong-based factories of Azim Group; VF Corp, PVH and GAP have announced that they are terminating or suspending orders with the Azim Group. After commissioning an investigation, the VF Corporation, which produces the North Face, Nautica, Wrangler and Timberland brands, informed Azim that it would terminate their business relationship unless Azim takes strong, demonstrable steps by December 31 to guarantee workers’ rights and assures no further violence against union leaders. In addition, Li & Fung, a global supply chain company that helps arrange apparel production for Kohl’s in Bangladesh, said it had conducted its own assessment.
The Worker Rights Consortium, a monitoring group sponsored by more than 180 American universities, investigated the attacks outside the two factories and brought those attacks to the attention of VF and other apparel companies. Representatives of the consortium interviewed the union leaders who had been beaten and many other workers from the two Azim factories in Chittagong. Scott Nova, the consortium’s executive director said it would be a first for Bangladesh if Azim Group reached a comprehensive agreement to remedy the violence and ensure constructive relations with its unions.
