Zara Workers Place Notes in Clothing Pleading for Pay

By Jack Billotti 11/8/17

The retail giant Zara is finding itself at the center of yet another major controversy. This time it’s not a dead rat’s foot sewn into a garment or knockoff designer sneakers, but another instance of unethical business practices. Patrons of Zara shops in Istanbul, Turkey have found troubling notes from distressed workers in the pockets of some clothing items. 

According to customers, the notes contained messages like “I made this item you are going to buy, but I didn’t get paid for it.” 

A Zara storefront in Belgium. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The workers who planted these cries for help were employees of the manufacturer Bravo, who Zara outsourced to produce much of their merchandise. The notes are intended to make Zara customers uncomfortable, so they contact the Spanish company and demand their factory workers be paid. Bravo employees say the factory owes them three months of pay and severance allowance. 

Zara’s parent company Inditex responded to these allegations by assuring customers they would help the Turkish workers. Intidex wrote in a statement: “We are committed to finding a swift solution for all of those impacted.”