Beyoncé’s Ivy Park accused of unfair labour practices in Sri Lanka

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
May 17, 2016

Beyoncé’s activewear brand Ivy Park hit headlines this week after it emerged that some workers in a Sri Lanka factory are paid just £4.30 a day.

According to the UK's The Sun, some seamstresses at the MAS Holdings factory in Sri Lanka work more than 60 hours a week and live in cramped boarding houses.

“This is a form of sweat shop slavery,” told Jakub Sobik, from the charity Anti-Slavery International to the newspaper. “There are a number of elements here that tick the boxes in terms of slavery, the low pay, restriction of women’s movement at night and locking them in.”

Ivy Park is a joint venture between Beyoncé Knowles and Topshop owner Sir Phillip Green, and aims to support and empower women through sport.

The allegations come shortly after the brand’s official launch, released in Topshop stores last month.

According to media reports, Ivy Park denied the accusations in a statement saying: “Ivy Park has a rigorous ethical trading program. We are proud of our sustained efforts in terms of factory inspections and audits, and our teams worldwide work very closely with our suppliers and their factories to ensure compliance.”

Beyoncé has not commented on the matter.