PVH steps up to pay Haiti workers $1m
Garment workers formerly employed by apparel manufacturer Vald’or in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince have received $1 million in compensation after they were dismissed without pay following the factory’s closure in January 2022.
According to the manufacturer’s website, the facility opened in 2014 and was at once time responsible for the direct and indirect employment of around 1,500 employees in total. US-owned Vald’or Apparel was headquartered in Florida.
Reports said that over 1,100 workers would share in the compensation, provided by US fashion group PVH to cover missed severance pay and pension contributions. PVH product made up less than 1% of the factory’s capacity, it commented. A licensee, Centric Brands, had engaged Vald’or in the work.
“We, together with Centric, believe it was the right thing to do to share in the commitment of supporting the effected workers, especially given the current context in Haiti,” a group spokesperson explained. PVH added that it was pleased to be able to help resolve the “unfortunate situation” by offering financial restitution, but also underscored that the company itself did not bear direct responsibility for what had happened.
Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), an advocacy group involved in the effort based in Washington, DC, praised Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein owner PVH’s fast decision-making. It noted that the business had acted “without any public pressure”, calling this kind of response a “model” for the entire industry.
For many of the affected workers, the funds from PVH could amount to more than six months’ wages, even upwards of a whole year’s pay for some, WRC said.
Check out our feature articles on fair pay and labour conditions for factory workers in Inside Denim issue nine.
Image: Vald’or Apparel.
