... After intense pressure from campaigners, Primark eventually agreed to pay for their orders. But have the workers in their supply chain been paid throughout the pandemic? 

Since March, workers who produce Primark’s clothes in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia have been protesting mass dismissal, unpaid wages and reduction in pay. Primark, we want to know, do you #PayYourWorkers?...

In Bangladesh, one of Primark’s suppliers (KAC Fashionwear Limited) which usually employs more than 6000 people, now only has 500 of them working now, while the rest of the workers are on ‘holiday’. Workers have stated that only workers who are currently working are being paid, while others are going without wages. The factory management has reported to have said that they are unable to pay salaries now due to lack of funds.

In Myanmar, a Primark supplier (Shinsung Tongsang International Co., Ltd) closed its factory in May, resulting in 2000 out of 2108 workers losing their jobs and receiving only partial payment.

In Cambodia, workers from another factory (New Best Global Textile Co Ltd) allegedly supplying Primark, staged a protest over wages and compensation owed after their employer fled. The workers are seeking eight days of owed wages, suspension benefits, severance pay and other compensation after the company closed.

This is just a snapshot of workers experiences from three of Primark’s factories, the true scale of the impact on garment workers is much bigger...