Workers at Shein suppliers work 75 hours a week, according to a study.

Some suppliers to Chinese fashion giant Shein are working overtime, a non-governmental organization suggests. According to a report by interest group Swiss Public Eye, some employees at six locations in Guangzhou work 75 hours a week.

David Hatfield of Public Eye said there was "tremendous pressure" on employees to change clothes quickly. Shein said he took supply chain issues seriously and would review the report. The Public Eye Researcher visited 17 factories that supply Shein and its parent company Zoetop near Shein's headquarters in Guangzhou. Organizations usually support large Swiss companies and their foreign businesses.

It surveyed ten workers at these six locations who were only taking orders from Shane at the time. They reported that the workers they spoke to worked three shifts a day, often with only one day off a month. Public Eye notes that workers, mostly migrants, are paid for clothing encourages them to work long hours.

While such working hours are not uncommon in China's production centers, they violate local labor laws that stipulate a maximum working day of eight hours and a 40-hour week. Shein said, "As soon as we heard about the report, we immediately asked for a copy, and when we received the message and looked into it, we will open an investigation.

"We have a strict supplier code of conduct that includes strict health and safety guidelines and adheres to local laws. If non-conformities are found, we will take immediate action," the spokesperson said. Last year, Public Eye opened an investigation into Shein, who works with thousands of suppliers to learn more about the fashion giant's structure.

Private companies don't release financial figures, but their sales are believed to have picked up during the pandemic, with consumers doing more than just shopping online. Data provider CB Insights expects revenue to exceed 63.5 billion yuan (7.4 billion pounds) in 2020. So-called "fast fashion" companies that offer clothing at low prices are faced with control over their supply chains.

Victoria Bellanini, Senior Professor of Fashion at Lincoln University, said, "You can't get clothes this cheap, made under good working conditions, and unless we understand where our clothes come from, we can't cause this problem. " He said, "Big brands say they screen their suppliers, but most are grown in cheaper factories, which means there's a lack of transparency behind industry standards. "The fashion industry is changing at a higher rate, so to speak, but that's not the case with cheaper clothing brands."