Rip Curl using 'slave labour' to manufacture clothes in North Korea

Iconic Australian surfwear brand Rip Curl has been revealed to have been manufacturing its clothes in North Korea, where factory workers endure slave-like conditions.

An investigation by Fairfax Media into Rip Curl's garment sourcing practices has revealed that workers at a the Taedonggang Clothing Factory near the North Korean capital Pyongyang were contracted to make some of Rip Curl's 2015 winter range of clothing.

The clothes were shipped to retail outlets and sold with a 'made in China' logo on them in a practice unions and non-governmental organisations say is likely to involve other large Australian clothing brands.

Responding to Fairfax Media’s investigation, Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Dr Helen Szoke stated "Australians would be shocked to hear that an iconic Australian brand with roots on the surf coast of Victoria has been manufacturing its surf wear in North Korea.  

"Australians care about where their clothes are made and how – we have seen this time and time again by responses to events such as the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013, which killed more than 1,100 workers and injured 2,500 more.

"Rip Curl has no excuse for not tracking clothing produced within its own supplier factories.

"As one of the globe’s biggest surf brands, Rip Curl has put a lot into the promotion of its image, but how much does it care about the people, the majority of whom are poor women, who make its products?

"Companies are responsible for human rights abuses within their businesses – not only morally but also within United Nations guidelines on the responsibilities of businesses when it comes to human rights.

"Other Australian brands, including Kmart, Target and Coles, have taken bold steps towards transparency by not only knowing, but also publishing, the exact names and locations of supplier factories for all to see.

"Companies such as Cotton On and Forever New are moving in this direction and it’s high time that Rip Curl and other surf brands caught up with the pack.

"It is also very concerning that in this instance, clothing has been made in a country that isn’t a signatory to core International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, including on the right to freedom of association and to collectively bargain.

"Rip Curl needs to show the Australian public it is serious about preventing this from happening again through a dramatic overhaul of its checks and balances. It should start by publishing its policies and a list of the factories where its products are made."

Rip Curl has blamed one of its subcontractors for the practice.

However, Fairfax Media has published photographs and videos of Rip Curl garments being made in North Korea by travellers who were taken on official tours of the factory by the North Korean Government.

Australian businessman and adventurer Nik Halik​ covertly photographed the garment's 'made in China' labels while his official guide was distracted during a tour last July.

Halik said he was shocked by his discovery and said Rip Curl customers had a right to know where the clothes were made.

Click here to read the full story in Fairfax media.

Click here to view Oxfam's corporate accountability statement.

Image used for illustrative purposes only.

10th September 2015 - QUIKSILVER FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY IN THE USA 

10th April 2014 - QUIKSILVER AND ROXY BACK VEGEMITE SURFGROMS FOR THREE MORE YEARS

25th July 2013 - BILLABONG PAYS OFF DEBTS AFTER REACHING DEAL WITH US PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM

4th November 2011 - AWARDS SHOWCASE CONTRIBUTIONS TO QUEENSLAND’S OUTDOOR RECREATION SECTOR

15th March 2010 - BILLABONG SUED FOR $168 MILLION IN INDONESIA