Jordan:
Justice comes far
too late
Two years after shocking revelations about worker abuse in Jordan, authorities finally act.
This week, the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) issued two Withhold Release Orders against garments produced by Needle Craft Ltd. and Casual Wear Apparel LLC garment-manufacturing factories in Jordan. In effect, this means that all clothing made in these two factories will be detained at US ports.
The decision comes two years after Labour Behind the Label (LBL) raised concerns about allegations of sexual harassment, forced labour and exploitation in these factories. Jordan is well known for its exploitative garment industry where much of the workforce consists of young female workers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other Asian countries who work for minimal pay and face isolation and exploitation. During its investigation, USCBP analysed masses of evidence and its findings show that “workers at Needle Craft and Casual Wear are subject to seven International Labour Organization indicators of forced labour: retention of identity documents, excessive overtime, intimidation and threats, physical and sexual violence, withholding of wages, restriction of movement, and abusive living and working conditions.”
These factories make clothing for many, primarily US, brands and in this case both factories were producing for well-known US brands including Under Armour.
Allegations made to LBL included forced overtime, lack of freedom of movement, harsh and abusive working conditions. Workers told us they could not leave even if they wanted to as their passports were taken away. Several people had committed suicide over these conditions in recent years with both factory management and local authorities attempting to minimise the extent of worker exploitation.
We worked with Rob Hastings of the i paper to uncover this reality, exposed here and here. US brands were asked for comment and input and failed to provide any. UK high street brands such as M&S, Next and John Lewis all sold Under Armour clothing and were approached for comment. While saying they would investigate, they have continued to source from Under Armour. Other UK retailers such as Sports Direct, Foot Asylum and Cotswold Outdoor did not respond to any of enquiries. Meanwhile, Under Armour has continued to source heavily from the factories in question despite the appalling allegations and evidence of abuse.
Another brand, Figs, which sells medical scrubs, was “shocked” at the findings but has continued to source from Needle Craft in the last 12 months.
Too little too late.
Garment production in Jordan has a long history of endemic abuse while independent trade unions are repressed and constrained. The ILO Better Work Program in Jordan has failed to create meaningful change for migrant workers in Jordan and continues to avoid calling out the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions (GFJTU) as a government sponsored union that fails to support migrant workers. Indeed, migrant workers are unable to form unions or hold office.
As of 2025, the ILO programme in Jordan has been suspended due to funding cuts.
Meanwhile, the USCBP is developing some form of remedy for affected workers, but it is not clear how much workers will receive or how the families of the workers who committed suicide will receive compensation.
Alongside immediate remedial action from brands, we urgently need mandatory human rights and environment legislation in the UK to hold brands to account over their complicity in human rights abuses and failure to prevent harm caused to those who make their clothes.