Fast Retailing Co. said Wednesday it is partnering with the U.N.'s International Labour Organization to improve conditions for workers in Asia, in its latest push to ensure labor protection in countries where social security systems are underdeveloped.
The operator of Uniqlo casual clothing stores will provide $1.8 million (¥191 million) in funding over a two-year period through 2021 for ILO research on the labor markets and social security systems in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam — all countries where the Japanese company has production bases.
Fast Retailing, which also owns the GU brand, has stepped up efforts to increase transparency through measures such as disclosing the names of Uniqlo plants since 2017. One of its Chinese factories has drawn criticism from nongovernmental organizations for long working hours.