Victoria’s Secret Investigating Child Labor Claims

Executives at intimates chain Victoria’s Secret say they are rushing to investigate claims that the clothing farms they buy from use child labor.

In a report released by Bloomberg on Friday one case examined a 13-year-old cotton picker in West Africa who is regularly beaten at the farm where she works.

In defending their purchases from the region a Limited Brands worker told CNN that only a “small portion of our Victoria’s Secret panty styles” use cotton from that part of the world.

In expounding their company’s core values executives released the following statement:

“If this allegation is true, it describes behavior that is contrary to our company’s values and the code of labor and sourcing standards that we require all of our suppliers to meet,” and “These standards expressly prohibit child labor.”

The company began purchasing Burkina Faso cotton in 2007 and now say they are “prepared to take swift action.”

Whether PR spin or a true sentiment of apology the company says they started the Burkina Faso cotton as a way to “generate life-changing opportunities for some of the world’s poorest women.”

Sadly while Victoria’s Secrets may have had good intentions most of the money going into the area doesn’t funnel down to the poor women they wish to help, who instead are treated as slave workers with very little pay and long hard hours.

Do you think company’s in the United States should face increasing fines and other penalties for failing to understand worker conditions throughout their supply chain?

[Image via PavelSvoboda / Shutterstock.com]