BHRRC Outreach to The Foschini Group

Several months after the publication of Transparentem’s report we are inviting all brands identified in the investigation as sourcing from the factories to provide information:

1. On how the above violations have been addressed, and
2. Specifically to provide responses to the following questions:
   1. What steps has The Foschini Group taken since the investigation’s publication to investigate the allegations brought to it by Transparentem? Has The Foschini Group substantiated the outstanding allegations, particularly of recruitment fee-charging?
   2. If audits of the factories have been conducted, please disclose any and all audit reports from January 2023 to present.
   3. As of May 2024, is The Foschini Group part of a buyer’s group at the factory? If yes, has it committed funds to remediate workers who were charged recruitment fees?
   4. Given the commitment from Barbour, PVH and Second Clothing to repay migrant workers for recruitment fees and related costs at R.E.A.L, will The Foschini Group commit to joining a reimbursement effort at DDI or Aquarelle?
   5. To date, what efforts have been made to address the allegations of abusive working and living conditions? How has the implementation of any improvement measures been substantiated by The Foschini Group?

Response from The Foschini Group

As part of the DDI Brand Group, it is our utmost priority to ensure fair, safe, and healthy working conditions for the people that work in our supply chain. In response to the findings reported by Transparentem, we immediately established a brand working group which commissioned an independent audit of the concerned facilities, using a specialised labour auditing firm recommended by Transparentem. We have conducted a second independent investigation, aimed at obtaining a more detailed view of any potential recruitment costs that may not have been detected in the first investigation. We are awaiting the results of this investigation and remain committed to ensuring proper remediation of any adverse findings.