GAP May Pull Christmas Clothing Line Due to Child Labor Abuse

The Observer investigated unethical subcontractors used by GAP Clothing that hired underage workers in New Delhi to slave over production despite Gap's rigorous audit systems launched in 2004.

Gap's policy is that if it discovers children being used to make its clothes that contractor must remove the child from the workplace, provide it with schooling, and guarantee the opportunity of work on reaching a legal working age.

It is a policy to stop the abuse of children. However, children as young as 10 years old were discovered working 16 hours a day hand-sewing clothing.

'I was bought from my parents' village in [the northern state of] Bihar and taken to New Delhi by train,' one boy says. 'The men came looking for us in July. They had loudspeakers in the back of a car and told my parents that, if they sent me to work in the city, they won't have to work in the farms. My father was paid a fee for me and I was brought down with 40 other children. The journey took 30 hours and we weren't fed. I've been told I have to work off the fee the owner paid for me so I can go home, but I am working for free. I am a shaagird [a pupil]. The supervisor has told me because I am learning I don't get paid. It has been like this for four months.'

The derelict industrial unit in which the children are working is smeared in filth, the corridors flowing with excrement from a flooded toilet. Behind them are huge piles of garments labeled Gap for sale later this year in time for Christmas.

'Our hours are hard and violence is used against us if we don't work hard enough. This is a big order for abroad, they keep telling us that. Last week, we spent four days working from dawn until about one o'clock in the morning the following day. I was so tired I felt sick,' another boy whispers, tears streaming down his face. 'If any of us cried we were hit with a rubber pipe. Some of the boys had oily cloths stuffed in our mouths as punishment.'

A GAP spokesman said: 'At Gap, we firmly believe that under no circumstances is it acceptable for children to produce or work on garments. These allegations are deeply upsetting and we take this situation very seriously. All of our suppliers and their sub-contractors are required to guarantee that they will not use child labour to produce garments.

'It is clear that one of our vendors violated this agreement, and a full investigation is under way. After learning of this situation, we immediately took steps to stop this work order and to prevent the product from ever being sold in our stores. We are also convening a meeting of our suppliers where we will reinforce our prohibition on child labor.

'Gap Incorporated has a rigorous factory-monitoring program in place and last year we revoked our approval of 23 factories for failing to comply with our standards.

'We are proud of this program and we will continue to work with government, trade unions and other independent organizations to put an end to the use of child labor.'

In recent years Gap has made efforts to rebrand itself as a leader in ethical and socially responsible manufacturing, after previously being criticized for practices including the use of child labor.”