Tesco suspends Chinese supplier of Christmas cards over prison labour claims
- British supermarket is investigating after newspaper report that six-year-old girl found message in card saying it was packed by Shanghai prisoners
- Retail giant say it ‘abhors’ use of prison labour after note said foreign inmates were being ‘forced to work against our will’
British supermarket giant Tesco suspended a Chinese supplier of Christmas cards on Sunday after a press report that a customer had found a message written inside a card saying it had been packed by foreign prisoners who were victims of forced labour.
“We abhor the use of prison labour and would never allow it in our supply chain,” a Tesco spokesman said on Sunday. “We were shocked by these allegations and immediately suspended the factory where these cards are produced and launched an investigation.
“We have also withdrawn these cards from sale whilst we investigate.”
The Sunday Times said the message inside the card read: “We are foreign prisoners in Shanghai Qingpu Prison China. Forced to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organisation.