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.

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 also work with other Fair Wear Foundation member brands, reinforcing factory understanding of the practises and working standards Montane expects. We work together with these 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 above 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.

In light of the student protests and anti-governmental movement in Bangladesh, Montane reiterates our commitment to operating in Bangladesh with the utmost respect for international human rights laws and standards and in support of our supply chain partners. We have updated our risk assessment for production in the country as part of the enhanced due diligence warranted by recent events and are in communication with our suppliers on how to navigate the inevitable impacts on the workers and on production. We endorse the joint statement issued by Fair Wear Foundation in collaboration with Amfori, Cascale, Ethical Trade Denmark, Ethical Trade Sweden, Ethical Trade Norway, Ethical Trade Initiative UK, Fair Labour Association, and Mondial FNV.

Montane is very concerned by the ongoing violence in Myanmar, initiated by the illegal military takeover in February 2021. We are in support of the democratically elected government and the international condemnations of violence issued by the United Nations and the UK government.

Previously, Montane urged and hoped for cessation of violence and swift reinstallation of democracy in Myanmar, however there are continued reports of human rights violations, both in the garment sector where Montane operates and in the country at large.

As Montane staff cannot safely or responsibly visit the factory or in good conscience arrange for external auditors to visit, we feel that it has become impossible to conduct heightened due diligence there. We no longer have confidence that the high standards around workers’ rights, health and wellbeing expected in our supply chain are being maintained.

Through discussions with our supplier, with Fair Wear, and through monitoring the advice of other aligned bodies, we have taken the decision to responsibly disengage, whilst fulfilling our existing orders and using up Montanes’ material inventory. Fair Wear continues to support Montane as we work with the factory and its workers on the responsible disengagement process.

Please find Fair Wears’ Business in Myanmar Policy here.

Please find our full statement on disengagement from Myanmar below:

We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and to being transparent with consumers as this journey continues, so you are well informed and confident about the origin of your Montane products. Head back to our main page or find out more on our other pillars: