We are aware of issues that some suppliers located in the Hawassa Industrial Park have had with regard to payments and working conditions. We would note that Indochine, the vendor we work with, pays its workers double the average of $30 for the park mentioned in the story and has been paying workers on time for their work and for overtime when applicable. This is something we track through our supplier code of conduct and regular assessments. When a lockdown was enacted by the Ethiopian government, Indochine covered workers’ wages for the first 21 days, as required by law. Indochine also distributed free masks to all workers and runs regular health and safety education programs in the facility. There are now more employees working at Indochine than there were at the beginning of 2020.

There is work to be done to build a more sustainable and responsible garment industry in the country. We are working with Indochine to be a positive influence in that effort, and we will continue to be a responsible partner to suppliers and workers wherever we operate globally.