Shein: China fashion giant investigates 'false' anti-Uyghur job ads
12:24PM Sat 28 Aug, 2021
- Chinese fast fashion firm Shein has launched an investigation into "false" discriminatory job adverts posted on recruitment sites under its name.
Adverts seen by the BBC for factory and warehouse workers said those from certain ethnic minority backgrounds, including Uyghurs, must not apply.
Shein said it did not fund nor approve the ads, and it was committed to "upholding high labour standards".
The plight of the Uyghurs in China has sparked international condemnation.
Fast-growing Shein competes with the likes of Boohoo in the market for young shoppers and has collaborated with celebrities and influencers to build its online following.
Several adverts were posted under Shein's name between April and December of 2020 on Chinese recruitment websites.
They offered jobs working in its Guangzhou factories or warehouses earning about 16 yuan (£1.81) per hour, as well as saying workers did not need to get tested for Covid - or pass a medical exam to work on-site - at the height of the pandemic.
A Shein spokesperson said the company was "surprised and concerned" to see the adverts using language that "goes against" its hiring principles.
"Shein is fully committed to upholding high labour standards across our entire supply chain and to improving the lives of workers in the global supply chain by supporting national and international efforts to end forced labour," they said, adding it has strict requirements for its suppliers and does not tolerate discrimination.
Its recruitment company, Guangzhou Zhongzhi Human Resources Management, also said it would "investigate the individuals who fraudulently used our company's name to release false information" and hold them "accountable to the fullest extent of the law".
"We sincerely apologise for the impact this incident had on Shein and related applicants due to our company's negligence," it said in a letter.
(Source: BBC)Photos
