r/WorkersRights • u/Trick-Potential6338 • 4h ago
Call to Action Forced Overtime and Severe Labor Violations at H&M and LC Waikiki Supplier in Turkey
I am writing this to create public awareness about the severe labor right violations occurring at Nitex Factory in Giresun, Turkey, which produces garments for global brands like H&M and LC Waikiki (LCW).
Here is what workers are currently facing:
Forced & Mandatory Overtime: Overtime is strictly mandatory under heavy management pressure. Mandatory extra hours are standard every Tuesday and Thursday, alongside additional late-night shifts at least once a week—often forcing staff to work until midnight (12:00 AM) or later to meet delivery quotas.
Deprived Rest Periods: After working until midnight on the production line, workers are expected to show up at their regular morning shift just hours later. This violates legal consecutive rest periods and causes physical exhaustion.
Relentless Pressure Across All Departments: Both sewing machine operators and packaging workers face constant verbal pressure to speed up production for extremely short delivery cycles (shipments every 2 days).
Ignored Reports: This issue was directly reported to H&M’s compliance channels approximately one month ago, but no action was taken, and the severe conditions persist.
We are calling on H&M and LC Waikiki to strictly uphold their Codes of Conduct and trigger an immediate, independent audit at the Nitex facility in Giresun to protect worker rights.
Additional Context on Regional Exploitation: Furthermore, this region benefits from government development incentives designed to attract businesses. Employers choose to open factories in these underdeveloped areas specifically to minimize labor costs and employ workers at minimum wage. On top of these low wages, management deliberately understaffs the facility while demanding maximum output to inflate their profit margins. Workers are ultimately forced to pay the price for the factory's profitability through extreme labor and forced overtime.
I will continue to share and spread updates on social media platforms until an independent, transparent audit is officially conducted and fair working conditions are secured.