Shein to face Parliamentary Committee hearing

The cross-party Business and Trade Committee will scrutinise Shein about the rights of workers in its supply chain during the Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill oral evidence session, scheduled to start at 2pm on Tuesday.

Yinan Zhu, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), general counsel at Shein will be taking questions, alongside Leonard Klenner, senior compliance manager at Chinese online operator Temu and Stephen Heary, senior legal counsel at Temu.

The Committee, chaired by former Labour minister Liam Byrne, is examining the government's employment rights bill in the context of protections for British workers. Representatives from Tesco and fast food chain McDonalds have also been called on to give evidence to the committee, which will be meeting at the Palace of Westminster.

Areas which the Committee is looking at also include how to ensure adequate protection against importing poor labour standards, and concerns over forced labour in international supply chains.

Shein revealed in its 2023 Sustainability Report published on 23 August 2024 that it had tightened supply chain policies after uncovering two cases of child labour at its suppliers in 2023.

The inquiry comes as Chinese-founded and Singapore-headquartered Shein plans an initial public offering (IPO) in London and is also said to be looking for its first UK warehouse of 300,000 to 400,000 sq ft within the so-called “golden logistics triangle” in the Midlands.

Margaret Beels, director of labour market enforcement at the Department for Business and Trade, has also been asked to speak at the hearing, along with Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Eleanor Lyons.