Amazon's Complicity in Labour Exploitation in Pakistan: A Systemic Failure of Labour Protections

A Labour Behind the Label report exposes widespread labor violations in Pakistan-based garment factories supplying Amazon Marketplace sellers. Three sellers, Chums, Ice Cool Fashion, and A2Z 4 Kids, have products tracing back to factories in Faisalabad, where workers reported forced overtime, wage theft, and inhumane conditions. Amazon's third-party seller model is criticized for enabling exploitation while deflecting responsibility. Campaigners argue that Amazon should actively enforce its commitments to prevent human rights violations in its supply chain.

A new report by Labour Behind the Label (LBL) has exposed extensive labour violations in Pakistani garment factories supplying products to Amazon Marketplace sellers. The investigation, conducted over several months, uncovered routine exploitation, underpaid workers, and systemic abuse in the country's textile industry, particularly in Faisalabad.

The report identified three Amazon sellers—Chums, Ice Cool Fashion, and A2Z 4 Kids—whose products trace back to factories in Faisalabad. Interviews with 40 workers revealed harrowing accounts of forced overtime, wage theft, and inhumane working conditions. Workers reported being forced to work beyond legal hours, often without the legally required overtime pay. Pakistani law mandates double wages for overtime, but these regulations are frequently disregarded.

One worker, Hussain, stated, "We are barely surviving. I live in a two-room house with my five children. I hardly manage my utilities on my salary, and we are living hand to mouth." Another worker, Abdul, reported a monthly income of just £86, supporting a family of seven. These stories highlight the systemic collapse of labour protections in Pakistan's garment sector.

Despite the scale of these violations, none of the three implicated brands responded to LBL's requests for comment. A Pakistani factory manager dismissed the allegations, claiming innocence. However, the mounting evidence suggests otherwise.

The report places the blame on Amazon's third-party seller model, which, according to LBL, enables such exploitation while deflecting responsibility. Amazon requires sellers to sign agreements promising that goods are not made with forced or child labour, but fails to actively enforce these commitments, especially in countries like Pakistan where labour abuses are easier to hide.

Anne Bryher, LBL's policy lead, stated, "The fact is that Amazon has deliberately set up a business model that is creating this risk but is not addressing it." Campaigners argue that Amazon should actively enforce its commitments to prevent human rights violations in its supply chain.

The report calls for Amazon to enforce robust audits and for Pakistan to face real international pressure to reform its labour laws. Until these changes occur, Pakistani factories will likely continue to be hubs of exploitation, fuelling global fashion with misery, sweat, and silence.

References:
[1] https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amazon/amazon-sellers-linked-to-pakistans-exploitative-garment-factories-a-disturbing-glimpse-into-forced-labor-and-wage-theft