Canada probing Walmart, Hugo Boss over allegations of forced labour

OTTAWA –

Canada’s company ethics watchdog on Thursday introduced investigations into the Canadian models of Walmart and Hugo Boss over allegations of Uyghur compelled labour within the firms’ provide chains and operations.

Both firms denied the allegations.

The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) stated it had revealed an preliminary evaluation report after complaints filed by a coalition of 28 civil society organizations in June 2022.

CORE will even examine the Canadian unit of style agency Diesel, which is owned by Italy’s OTB. It has already launched probes into Nike Canada, Dynasty Gold and Ralph Lauren.

“As mediation between the parties is not currently an option, we will be launching investigations into the allegations outlined in these reports,” Sheri Meyerhoffer, CORE’s Ombudsperson, stated in an announcement.

Walmart Canada stated it didn’t tolerate compelled labour of any type in its provide chain.

“None of the entities in the complaint are in our active disclosed supply chain,” it stated in an announcement.

Hugo Boss stated “the allegations are without any basis.” In an e-mail, the corporate stated it now not acquired provides from a Chinese agency that CORE had expressed a priority about.

In March, a UN committee stated it was involved about China’s therapy of its Muslim minority, together with the usage of compelled labour towards Uyghurs. China denies the allegations.

CORE was launched in 2019 to observe and examine human rights abuses, primarily by Canadian garment, mining and oil and gasoline firms working overseas.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; enhancing by Jonathan Oatis and Devika Syamnath)