On this Voices conversation, Transparentem’s Andrew Korfhage and Sophie Broach speak to IHRB’s Guna Subramaniam. We discuss their recently published report, Hidden Harm: Audit Deception in Apparel Supply Chains and the Urgent Case for Reform. The report compiles evidence of efforts to conceal labour rights violations from social auditors in the apparel industry in India, Malaysia, and Myanmar, and research from peer organisations and academics which indicate that audit deception is a pervasive problem in apparel supply chains. Interviewed workers’ accounts reveal that many types of labor abuses can be hidden from auditors, including recruitment fees, child labour, passport retention, wage and hour violations, and hazardous working conditions.
Jump-to:
(00:45) The case of labour rights in the apparel industry
(1:30) What is Transparentem?
(2:50) What does the Transparentum report cover?
(4:35) Audits beyond the apparel industry
(7:00) Suppliers and their methods to conceal labour abuses
(8:00) Why would workers lie during audits?
(11:10) Concerning examples of recruitment agencies methods for extortion
(15:30) Do legislations on supply chains impact audit practices?
(18:40) Next steps for Transparentem