Press Release: Man loses arm at factory linked to Hugo Boss supply chain in Pakistan

• Activists call on brand to remedy major safety risks at dangerous spinning mill linked to Hugo Boss production.
• Luxury fashion company Hugo Boss under pressure to sign on to the Pakistan Accord for factory safety after leaving in recent months.

A man working at Arctic Textile Mills in Faisalabad, Pakistan, has lost his arm whilst operating unsafe machinery that had jammed during a shift on Friday 26th June 2026.

Workers from the factory reported they were producing yarn and fabric to be used to create Hugo Boss products after identifying the Hugo Boss label on rolls of fabric.

Luxury fashion company Hugo Boss became a signatory of the Pakistan Accord in 2023, but refused to renew its participation in this legally binding agreement in 2026, reneging on its responsibility towards workplace health and safety for garment workers in Pakistan and putting lives at risk.

Nasir Mansoor, General Secretary of the National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan said: “A safe workplace is a right, not a privilege. Have global brands learnt no lessons from the growing list of accidents in factories making their products? Hugo Boss must take responsibility and ensure concrete safety measures in its supplier factories to prevent such tragedies in the future. No worker should be at risk of losing a limb simply for doing their job.”

Anna Bryher, Policy Lead at workers’ rights organisation Labour Behind the Label, said: “This devastating incident is a reminder that workplace safety cannot be left to voluntary company policies or social audits. Hugo Boss must urgently re-join the Pakistan Accord, ensure this worker receives full compensation and support, and work with trade unions and their suppliers to address the safety failures that continue to put workers’ lives at risk.”

Arctic Textile Mills is a yarn and fabric producer supplying production facilities in Pakistan including Beacon Impex and Masood Textile Mills, both of which are Hugo Boss product suppliers, verified via public supply lists and shipping data.

Activists and trade unions are calling on Hugo Boss to ensure safety for workers across all tiers of their supply chain, immediately sign on to the Pakistan Accord, and provide full remedy and compensation for this injured worker to cover ongoing medical treatment and the loss of income to his family.

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

• The Pakistan Accord is a country programme for the International Accord – a legally binding agreement between global brands and trade unions covering factory safety. https://internationalaccord.org/
• Hugo Boss is a signatory to the International Accord, and was previously a signatory to the Pakistan country programme, but has not renewed its participation or signed the latest Pakistan agreement. Participation in the International Accord is empty of content without participation in the associated country level programmes.
• Accord inspections in Pakistan have identified ongoing safety risks in supplier factories linked to Hugo Boss.

Labour Behind the Label is fighting alongside workers for an industry where exploitation has no place. We support garment worker’ efforts to improve their working conditions and change the fashion industry for the better. We raise awareness, conduct research, and promote international solidarity between workers and consumers. We are a UK member of the Clean Clothes Campaign. www.labourbehindthelabel.org