In a statement issued by Khaadi, all allegations that were levelled against the company have been denied asserting that these ‘malicious and libellous’ allegations are a part of a ‘conspiracy’ against the company.
“Khaadi has viewed with concern the discussion on social media in recent days emanating from certain false news that have been spread and which seek to damage our reputation. Initially, our viewpoint was not to respond to what is nothing but malicious and libelous content, but we now feel we owe it to our patrons to clarify the matter. We therefore categorically confirm that Khaadi has NOT terminated 32 of its employees.
Another malicious story being spread and linked to the above is of the apparent attempted suicide of a young female worker. Why anyone should spread this outright lie is beyond understanding, but this just goes to show how some vested interests will stop at nothing to premeditatedly plan to try and cause reputational harm to Khaadi, and we intend to get to the bottom of this conspiracy.
Khaadi is a responsible corporate citizen. As a brand, we have endeavoured to maintain and adhere to the highest standards in all operations-which also includes following best practices with regard to our biggest assets, our employees. Our products are sourced through an array of third party suppliers. Khaadi has always endeavoured to promote our culture and heritage, and promote a positive image of Pakistan internationally, and will continue to do so.
Finally, we appeal to all to please do not share or spread news that is pure hearsay, or base your comments on speculative news, no matter shared by who, without fully knowing the facts yourself. We request this not only in the case of Khaadi, but as a general principle of social media engagement, as false rumours tend to escalate and can be quite damaging for others, whether it be brands or innocent people.”
The internationally acclaimed clothing brand Khaadi allegedly dismissed 32 employees without any prior notice, right before Ramazan and Eid. Reportedly, the dismissed employees were being paid less than the minimum wage set by the state’s legislation, i.e. below Rs. 14,000 and that the workers wanted a raise in their wage and better working conditions. The company has also been accused of severely penalising a female worker for taking an unscheduled lunch break, a punishment that eventually drove her to attempt suicide.
Many protests were held in both Karachi and Lahore demanding reinstatement of workers who were allegedly fired for demanding fair wages; and better overall working conditions for the workers.
The protestors demanded that the company should let it be known as to why these workers were dismissed simply for demanding an increase in wages and better working conditions.
A hashtag #BoycottKhaadi also started trending on Twitter after the recent allegations, with people from all walks of life calling out for a nationwide boycott of Khaadi.