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Boohoo Executive Chairman, Mahmud Kamani now giving evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee.
'Heart-warming' story of his humble beginnings and importance of family. And then talked about how hard 2020 has been.
"Basically I'm a market trader who has been very fortunate."
'Heart-warming' story of his humble beginnings and importance of family. And then talked about how hard 2020 has been.
"Basically I'm a market trader who has been very fortunate."
Cttee now outlining timeline of Leicester's appalling factory conditions going back to 2010.
Question: How could your board respond with shock at the 2020 reports at conditions - when you've been trading for 25 years?
Question: How could your board respond with shock at the 2020 reports at conditions - when you've been trading for 25 years?
Kamani: "we were shocked. none of these factories belong to Boohoo....they are not exclusive to Boohoo they supply everybody."
Cttee is not buying the humble act - which is good.
Now on to the Morefray factory which was caught paying under the minimum wage - supplied Boohoo and other
Kamani family businesses (including I Saw It First).
Kamani family businesses (including I Saw It First).
Cttee: PLT offering 99% off on Black Friday - crop top for 6p!
How do you supply goods as cheaply as that without underpaying workers?
How do you supply goods as cheaply as that without underpaying workers?
We're helping people in financial hardship says advisor.
It doesn't undermine our sustainability plan says other advisor.
(All said with a straight face.)
It doesn't undermine our sustainability plan says other advisor.
(All said with a straight face.)
Cttee: How many factories have you exited having found they didn't meet code of conduct standards during your investigation?
Boohoo: Sixty four.
Boohoo won't say how many of the sixty four weren't paying minimum wage.
Boohoo: Sixty four.
Boohoo won't say how many of the sixty four weren't paying minimum wage.
Cttee: Levitt review says Boohoo did too little too late...what have you done?
Anyone else think Kamani appears rattled? He can't say what is being done. But he like a pointless slogan: "We will make a better Boohoo...."
Keeps deferring to newly appointed Andrew Reaney.
Anyone else think Kamani appears rattled? He can't say what is being done. But he like a pointless slogan: "We will make a better Boohoo...."
Keeps deferring to newly appointed Andrew Reaney.
Cttee: PUBLISH YOUR SUPPLIERS. 
Excellent questioning from Claudia Webbe, MP for Leicester East, on how licencing Leicester's factories will protect workers rights.
And on whether there is ANY factory in Leicester that recognises a trade union. Answer being nope.
And on whether there is ANY factory in Leicester that recognises a trade union. Answer being nope.
How many times will Andrew Reaney (Boohoo's Group Director of Responsible Sourcing & Group Product Operations) press his hand to his chest to show his sincerity about Boohoo's 'duty of care'?
Claudia Webbe really cutting through IMO - Is there any supplier in Leicester that has an effective complaints system.
Or provides training on employment rights for workers.
Answer: No.
Or provides training on employment rights for workers.
Answer: No.
Boohoo: We pay UK suppliers within 14 days.
"It's very easy for us to move offshore....We are here and it sometimes feels we're getting punished for it."
Pushing their proud commitment to Leicester, UK, British manufacturing...
"It's very easy for us to move offshore....We are here and it sometimes feels we're getting punished for it."
Pushing their proud commitment to Leicester, UK, British manufacturing...
Boohoo really don't want to talk about the past or present do they: Repeated phrase "This is about the future."
They are putting a lot of eggs in the Leveson enquiry basket.
They are putting a lot of eggs in the Leveson enquiry basket.
Claudia Webb on Leicester - Underreporting of hours and inability to pay the minimum wage is rife yet as a company Levitt found you were signed up to ethical/sustainable agreements.
Was this a tick box exercise?
Was this a tick box exercise?
Webb: In Leicester workers are earning less now than in 1992.
Wages have gone down again during pandemic, but your profits have gone up.
Do you agree billionaires exist because workers are exploited?
Wages have gone down again during pandemic, but your profits have gone up.
Do you agree billionaires exist because workers are exploited?
Billionaire Kamani: "we're transparent - this is all about the future."
Caroline Lucas - 6p for clothes is a damaging marketing strategy?
Boohoo - our customers only buy 10 items per year, this is not a problem.
(One to dig into!)
Boohoo - our customers only buy 10 items per year, this is not a problem.
(One to dig into!)
Okay, I'm just going to say it - that was absolutely NOT GOOD ENOUGH on the part of the Environmental Audit Committee @CommonsEAC.
The questions did not go nearly far enough and Kamani was repeatedly let off the hook.
The questions did not go nearly far enough and Kamani was repeatedly let off the hook.
I've obviously never been an MP, but @CommonsEAC don't you talk to each other about what you're going to ask? Aren't you on the same side? Why didn't you keep going on the things that were clearly bothering him? Why didn't you have some kind of plan to get something concrete?
