REUTERS/Yara Nardi
Milan's prosecutors have initiated an inquiry into the luxury fashion clothing brand Tod's regarding labor exploitation. The inquiry investigates 56 workers from China whose compensation amounts to €2.75 per hour for creating products for Tod's. The workers were hired through a subcontractor and worked several hours every day including public holidays, lacked formal contracts, and lived in illegal dormitories. Tod's allegedly disregarded prior audits that revealed the working conditions in its supply chain were unacceptable.
The prosecutors' inquiry has led to a request for temporarily prohibiting advertising Tod's for a period of 6 months. The prosecutors allege Tod's failed to monitor working conditions but also that it was aware of the labor exploitation and intentionally ignored it. Three Tod's employees are cited in the prosecution inquiry: Simone Bernardini, Mirko Bartoloni, and Vittorio Mascioni.
The Tod's investigation follows other investigations into luxury fashion brands including Armani, Dior, and Valentino. Paolo Storari, the prosecutor in the Tod's inquiry and known for his focus on corporate responsibility, previously sought judicial management of firms that exploited laborers. With regard to the Tod's inquiry, he alleges the companies were aware of labor exploitation and turned a blind eye to the exploitation.
Tod's has dismissed the claims, stating that it is committed to ethical behavior and is assessing the claims. There will be a court hearing on December 3, when the future of the investigation will be determined.