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12/01/2009
Primark 'caught in illegal worker storm' |
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Retailer Primark is reportedly facing allegations that illegal immigrants paid less than the minimum wage are employed at one of its Manchester-based suppliers.
An investigation led by the BBC and the Observer newspaper has claimed that employees at supplier TNS Knitwear have admitted they are working in the UK illegally and are being paid just £3 an hour, according to press reports.
For workers over the age of 22, the national minimum wage is £5.73 per hour.
The Observer suggests that some staff were working 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
In response to the allegations, a Primark spokesman said that the chain had recently been told that one of its suppliers has "allegedly broken a number of UK employment, tax and immigration laws".
"Primark is conducting its own investigation into this. Once that investigation is complete it will decide how to proceed," he said.
The Ethical Trade Initiative said that it has launched its own investigation into the matter to see whether or not there has been a "systematic failure" by the retailer.
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