Ahead of BBC Panorama, ETI responds to allegations against Finlays

In February 2023, ETI was made aware of a BBC documentary, due to expose serious allegations of abuse, exploitation, and sexual harassment of female workers on tea estates owned and operated by Finlays.

Allegations of this nature are a cause for grave concern and should be taken very seriously. We have engaged with our member Finlays to understand the actions they are taking to fully investigate what has happened, provide necessary remediation and address the underlying causes to prevent such abuses in future. ETI has also engaged with our retailer members, customers of Finlays, who together with ETI and relevant experts are participating in a coordinated and transparent approach to address the issues raised. 

Estate agriculture, which typically employs many women, is too often associated with exploitation and sexual abuse. It is crucial that all companies along the value chain of tea and other estate crops, undertake human rights due diligence that engages directly with workers, particularly women and other vulnerable groups, to ensure the respect and protection of their human rights and mitigation of any adverse impacts on them. Where human rights violations do take place, businesses have a responsibility to investigate and remediate the harm done. 

BBC Panorama’s ‘Sex for Work: The True Cost of Our Tea’ is due to air on Monday 20 February at 20:00 and will shed a necessary light on these issues. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and the implementation of Finlays’ plans to eliminate the risk of these practices reoccurring and remediate against the harm caused to those affected.