BEHIND THE GLAMOUR

Fashion conscious shoppers in the smart streets of Madrid may see themselves as trend setters as they buy clothes from the Zara stores. but Zara is under investigation over the use of "slave labour" at factories in Brazil. "Workers discovered to be producing clothes for the Zara label in sweatshop conditions in Sao Paulo are to receive compensation, Inditex, the parent company of the retail chain, confirmed. Authorities said they rescued a team of workers (14 Bolivians and one Peruvian) from an unlicensed factory that sewed garments carrying the Zara label. The 15 immigrant workers, one of whom was reported to be just 14 years old, were said to be living in dangerous and unhygienic conditions on the factory floor, forced to work 12-hour shifts for between $156 (£95) and $290 (£176) a month. The minimum wage in Brazil is $344." (Daily Telegraph, 18 August) This is typical of the hypocrisy of capitalism. Behind the glitter of high fashion lurks the exploitation of defenseless children. RD