Primark, owner of Penneys, is investigating how a label bearing the hand-stitched words: “Forced to work exhausting hours” was found inside one of its dresses. Welsh shopper Rebecca Gallagher bought a floral dress at the budget retailer and was alarmed by what she found.
“I was amazed when I checked for the washing instructions and spotted this label,” Gallagher said. “To be honest I’ve never really thought much about how the clothes are made. But this really made me think about how we get our cheap fashion. I dread to think that my summer top may be made by some exhausted person toiling away for hours in some sweatshop abroad.”
The shopper, who says she called Primark but didn’t receive a response after being placed on hold, sees the wording as a “cry for help – to let us people in Britain know what is going on”, although the label’s origin will be difficult to verify. While it could have been added once the garment arrived in Britain, the label may also have been sewn in by a factory employee – a mystery that Primark is attempting to unravel.
“There have been no other incidents of this kind,” relating to the dress in question, a Primark spokesman said. “We would be grateful if the customer would give us the dress, so we can investigate how the additional label became attached and whether there are issues which need to be looked into.”