Italy's OVS to stop business with Myanmar suppliers discriminating against workers

Italian clothing retailer OVS said on Monday it would keep its “limited presence” in Myanmar but would stop its business with suppliers acting in a discriminatory way towards workers involved in rallies against the country’s junta.

“Given the modest size of current production (in Myanmar) OVS could easily abandon the country, however it will keep its limited presence,” the group said in a statement.

The company did not say how much business it had with suppliers in Myanmar.

“(OVS) will suspend any activity with those suppliers that discriminate against workers involved in protests,” it added.

Myanmar is known globally for its yarn, fabric and textile products, and its garment industry is a key source of jobs.
OVS said it condemned the violation of human rights in Myanmar and would monitor the situation in the country, where violence is rising after the ousting of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government last month.

Sweden’s H&M, the world’s second-biggest fashion retailer, and Italy’s Benetton last week announced the immediate suspension of new orders from Myanmar.

Myanmar security forces fired on pro-democracy demonstrators on Monday killing six people, media and witnesses said, a day after dozens of protesters were shot dead and attackers torched several Chinese-financed factories in the city of Yangon.