Montane is proud to work with some of the leading technical apparel and equipment factories in the industry, many of which we’ve partnered with since the very beginning. We only work with manufacturers who respect both our standards, and the rights and well-being of the people who make our products.

In October 2019 Montane became a member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF). The FWF is an independent, non-profit organisation that works with brands and manufacturers to improve labour conditions and worker’s rights in the global textile and apparel manufacturing industry.

FAIR WEAR FOUNDATION EIGHT LABOUR STANDARDS
As part of our factory selection process and ongoing partnerships, we require that our suppliers agree to and meet our business standards. Montane has always included our Social and Ethical Policy in all factory contracts, to help to ensure that our values, policies and standards are understood and adhered to. The policy was built upon the same International Labour Organisation (ILO) foundations that underpin the Fair Wear Foundations (FWF) work. Montane’s FWF membership and regular visits to our factories support long term and effective implementation of these standards.

You can view Fair Wear Foundations Montane brand page here.

You can find all of the factories we work with on the below map:

Each year, Montane produces a Social Report, which highlights the work we have undertaken as part of our Fair Wear Foundation membership during the previous year. This includes things like our approach to responsible sourcing, conducting factory audits, and facilitating training of factory workers. These things support continued positive social compliance in the factories we work with, as well as helping garment workers to understand their rights, and Montane’s expectations of their working contracts and conditions. This report is published annually, to share with you the work we have been doing, the challenges we have faced, and the achievements we have made.

The Fair Wear Foundation also conduct an annual Brand Performance Check (BPC) of all member brands, to review and report whether expectations are being met, any areas that could be strengthened, and to help to guide plans for the year ahead. It is this BPC which ultimately makes brands accountable and pushes us to do better each year. After reviewing the work we did last year, and developing the Social Report above, we have undertaken our second BPC and received a ‘Good’ rating from the Fair Wear Foundation. To aid transparency, our BPC Report is also published here.

“It is Fair Wear’s belief that member companies who are making a serious effort to implement the Code of Labour Practises – the vast majority of Fair Wear member companies – are ‘doing good’ and deserve to be recognised as such. They are also doing more than the average clothing company, and have allowed their internal processes to be examined and publicly reported on by an independent NGO.”

You can learn more about the Fair Wear Foundation and the brands who are members on their website.

The Bangladeshi factories Montane works with already worked with other Fair Wear Foundation member brands, making them familiar with the practises and working standards Montane expect. Going forwards, we will work together with these member brands to ensure factory safety is upheld. This due diligence is part and parcel of Montane’s membership with the Fair Wear Foundation, and our commitment to the Code of Labour Practises. Our membership to the International Accord is in addition to the factory audits and training we conduct as part of our Fair Wear membership, where the focus extends to social compliance and workers rights, as described above.

Montane condemns the ongoing violence against peaceful protesters in Myanmar, led by the military. We are in support of the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, and the international condemnation of violence issued on March 28th, supported by the UK government and European Parliament. Montane urges the swift reinstallation of democracy in Myanmar, and that all violence immediately cease to enable a return to peace.

Montane does manufacture in Myanmar, and we continue to do so in support of continued stable employment of those workers. The factory is privately owned, with no links to the military, and we remain in close communication with both the manufacturer and other outdoor brands working with the same factory, to maintain continued clarity of the situation. We also maintain regular communication with the Fair Wear Foundation with regards to UN and OECD guidance on the situation Myanmar faces. This guidance is publicly available here.