H&M probes Myanmar factory abuses as pressure intensifies

H&M told Reuters it is following up on 20 alleged instances of labour abuse at Myanmar garment factories that supply the world's second-largest fashion retailer, just weeks after top rival Zara owner Inditex said it is phasing out purchases from the Southeast Asian country. A UK-based human rights advocacy group tracked 156 cases of alleged worker abuses in Myanmar garment factories from February 2022 to February 2023, up from 56 in the previous year, indicating a deterioration of workers' rights since a military coup in February 2021. "All the cases raised in the report by BHRRC are being followed-up and where needed remediated through our local team on the ground and in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders," H&M said in a statement.