Factory Investigations
The WRC has conducted hundreds of factory investigations in more than two dozen countries, many in response to complaints from workers and worker organizations. You can browse case summaries, full public reports, and related documents and background information for many of these investigations below. Reports include detailed information on findings, the WRC’s recommendations for remedies (from reinstatement of illegally fired workers, to urgent safety improvements, to back pay) and whether or not brands and factories have implemented these remedies. Click on a factory name in the results to view the case summary and links to the full report and other documents.
South China Headwear (Shenzhen) Co. Limited
Country: China
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Health & Safety Violations, Overtime Violations, Statutory Benefit Violations, Wage and hour violations, Wage Theft
2024 In 2024, the WRC conducted its investigation of the factory after being informed by the licensee, Vantage Apparel, that an audit conducted under the Sedex 4 program by the auditing company, LRQA, found that South China Headwear had remedied the violations the WRC had previously identified, including the factory’s previous failure to provide workers…
Industrial Hana
Country: Guatemala
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Wage Theft
Industrial Hana, a garment factory in Guatemala, permanently closed operations in October 2023, failing to pay legally required severance to approximately 250 employees. The factory produced garments, under subcontracting relationships with other local manufacturers, for Lucky Brand (owned by Authentic, SPARC, and Shein), American Eagle Outfitters, and Puma. The WRC engaged with factory buyers and,…
Heart and Mind Apparel Co., Ltd.
Country: Thailand
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Wage Theft
A Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) investigation found that, at the time of its closure, Heart and Mind, a garment factory located in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, denied 98 of its employees approximately $150,000 in legally owed severance, of which roughly $78,000 is still unpaid. The factory had supplied children’s clothing to PVH Corp. (Tommy Hilfiger), El…
Wing Star Shoes
Country: Cambodia
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Freedom of Association Violations
The WRC’s investigation uncovered severe retaliatory actions against workers who formed an independent union. After establishing the union to address grievances, factory management took the following unlawful actions: Mr. Chan was held in prison until August 19, 2024, the same day that the appeal of his conviction was heard in court—at which point, the prosecutor…
Hong Seng Knitting
Country: Thailand
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Wage Theft, Wrongful Termination
2024 WRC affiliate universities have continued to engage with Nike on this case. However, Nike’s position remains unchanged. It continues to ignore overwhelming evidence of worker coercion reported by the WRC, asserting that thousands of workers at Hong Seng voluntarily chose to forgo wages that they were legally owed. In support of its position, Nike…
Grupo Merlet
Country: El Salvador
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Freedom of Association Violations, Wrongful Termination
A WRC investigation found that Grupo Merlet, located in El Salvador, violated local law and university codes of conduct when it illegally fired a union leader who was protected from dismissal under Salvadoran law. Following the WRC’s investigation and recommended corrective actions, the company agreed to remedy the violations by providing back pay to the…
Style Avenue S.A.
Country: El Salvador
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Abuse and Harassment, Freedom of Association Violations, Health & Safety Violations, Overtime Violations, Statutory Benefit Violations, Wage Theft, Wrongful Termination
Style Avenue was found to have multiple and repeated labor rights violations, including forced overtime, illegal terminations, verbal abuse by management, failure to respect freedom of association, locking workers in the factory, excessive heat, and unsanitary conditions.
Everest Apparel
Country: Ethiopia
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Abuse and Harassment, Freedom of Association Violations, Health & Safety Violations, Overtime Violations, Statutory Benefit Violations, Wage and hour violations, Wage Theft
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…
Texpia II
Country: Guatemala
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Health & Safety Violations
In June 2024, Anastacio Tzib Caal, a union leader at Texpia II, was assassinated by an unidentified assailant. In the months prior, Tzib Caal and other union leaders were targets of death threats written on the factory walls. The WRC engaged with factory buyers to ensure that Texpia II’s parent company, the Korean multinational SAE-A,…
Özak/Kübrateks
Country: Türkiye
Last Updated: 2024
Issues: Freedom of Association Violations, Violence Against Workers, Wrongful Termination
The WRC investigated reports of severe repression of workers’ freedom of association—including mass firings and arrests, threatened and actual violence, wage theft, and blacklisting against 400 workers at Levi’s supplier factory in Türkiye. The WRC found that Özak Global (in some instances in collaboration with both the local militarized forces and a company-favored union), committed,…