Are Chinese prisoners working for H&M and C&A?

British former journalist Peter Humphrey has accused C&A and H&M of using forced labour. He claims to have seen how Shanghai prisoners were forced to work for Western chains, something the retailers will now investigate.

Prison labour for Western brands in exchange for extras

Humphrey was imprisoned in a Shanghai jail for 23 months and he says he saw how Chinese prisoners were forced to work for major Western companies. They had to manufacture clothing for chains like H&M and C&A, according to Humphrey’s report on his jail time in the Financial Times.

The prisoners were given a 13.5 dollar monthly bonus for their work, which gave them access to extras like snacks. The forced labour also led to reduced prison sentences. Humphrey recognized names from famous brands, like 3M, H&M and C&A. Because he was a foreigner, he had to work in the package part division, while Chinese prisoners created fabrics and parts. His Chinese colleagues “marched to their work like soldiers before breakfast and returned late in the evening”. “So much for social entrepreneurial spirit, even though companies may not have been aware that prison labour was part of their supply chain”, Humphrey noted.

C&A and H&M will investigate Chinese suppliers

C&A says it was not aware of these practices: “We have not seen nor have we been pointed to prison labour in our Chinese supply chain.” The company says it works with 273 Chinese factories that are annually checked. “We take these accusations very seriously and are trying to gather more information about the case in order to allow us to launch a formal investigation”, C&A told Het Financieele Dagblad. “If we notice any forced labour, we will no longer work with that supplier.” H&M also said it would cancel contracts if that were the case.

In 2013, Humphrey and his wife Yu Yingzeng were arrested in China because they had allegedly illegally gathered and sold Chinese citizens’ private information. At the time, the former journalist was investigating a major defamation campaign against pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. Following diplomatic pressure and a partial confession, he was released in 2015.