Have any of these companies asked the question 'What happens to the incomes from these families when they loose these jobs?'
What are their alternatives?
We in the West don't understand their cultures or economies and consistently try to impose Western values on them.
We take away their livelyhood.

Michael Cole, Hayling Island, England

i don't think primark's steps will help the businesses in a country which came into existence only 60 years after long years of colonial rule.its always needed to see things in a different perspective.a child earning for himself is always better than a child being vulnerable in the street.

jose, redhill, uk

I'm from India and my heart goes out to those hard working poor children who will sleep tonight not knowing if they will have a meal tomorrow.

primark has just kicked them in their hungry bellies. Its pathetic to deprive anyone of livelihood under the pretence of social justice. Shame on you

Naresh, Keston,

How can any of you criticize the ethical or moral side of this living in your self ordained house of shame that profits fully from the child labour initiatives of our country. The fact is that our children work in their spare time after school to help the family unit with greatly needed finances....

Nasser Hussein, Mumbia, India

i don't see the difference between that and what children in the entertainment industry do in the west.
children work as actors in movies and the theatre, i just got back from a musical in london full of child actors, working until 10pm
so its ok for us but not for them?

dc, london,

Vast poverty in India means children often have to work to feed themselves & the other little ones in their care.Primark feels it did something good for the children but not, these children are not forced to work but volunteered to work to live. Atleast they are working rather eating on benifits.

Vasanth, Birmingham, UK

I am glad some people here understand the situation in these countries where the 'child labour' takes place. These countries do not have a benefit system and some families are left with no options. Not ideal but better than begging and child prostitution in the nearest city.

Cassandra, London,

i hope primark and do gooders realise that these kids, where probably railway children before they got a job in these factories. they probably celebrated getting a real job in a factory. now thanks to do gooders they are being forced to beg for an existence in railway stations

will, grimsby, uk

Surely Primark could help to introduce & implement better working conditions in factories with which they already have contracts, rather than make already poverty-stricken children & their families even poorer. Right or wrong by our standards, often the only person working in a family is the child

Elizabeth, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Will the company Primark, replace the family income that has now been lost? Perhaps some of the families involved had no father and working children was the only source of income. The out of work children will now go back to begging on the street.
Well done Primark and the clueless do-gooders!

Gordon Phillips, Huntington Beach, USA

Troy Rutledge, Perth, Australia
You make a very valid point. Whilst I disagree with child labour who is going to replace the income that is now lost and put food on the table? We judge based on our morality but is this fair and valid to less developed countries?

John, Reading, uk

low prices on the high street are due to the exploitation of the vulnerable such as childred and the poor. This is a economic fact.

h.rai, birmingham, uk

we people have to distinguish between child and force labour.some time child labour is wrongly interpreted.I have seen many young childern they go to school at daytime and learn thier family skills at home in the evening.

ali, london,

If a company such as Primark can sell clothes for as little as £1 per garment and still make a profit, how can anyone believe that they did not know the manufacturer would be using cheap labour. The younger the person the less they get paid, therfore using children produces the cheapest products.

Barbara, Hereford,

Now that those children do not have an income, who is going to feed and cloth them? Do you think they have social support in India like we do.

Troy Rutledge, Perth, Australia

Almost any garment you buy now is produced by unethical labour practices. I'm not saying it's acceptable, but it's a fact. Nothing is made in the UK any more because we close our eyes to the conditions in foreign garment factories. This is not unique to Primark. Solution? Buy 2nd-hand! I dare you.

Scot Danner, Dubai, UAE

Hmm, did they really "discover" this fact, or were they worried they might get caught out?

It's exactly this kind of child exploitation that is the reason why shops like Primark can afford to sell their products at such low prices - wake up people!

Alex, London,

Can't help but remain sceptical - the fact they have admitted they would 'never knowingly permit such activities' suggests that their clothing is 'kind of' ethical, but only as far as they are aware.
Be honest Primark, you can't keep tabs on ALL your suppliers and their conditions.

Rebecca C, London, UK

How could anyone ever seriously shop there without knowing this?

To coin a phrase:-

You Do The Math

John L, London, UK

I think Primark may be being a tad disingenuous - we all saw the trailers for the Channel 4 documentary due to air last week and detailing exactly how Primark gets such low prices, sweat shops and child labour. The programme was pulled off air, and a week later Primark makes this announcement. Bah!

J Britton, Bristol, UK

Three cheers for this decision, Primark. ( I can't shop there, I don't live near a store) but I'll be continuing to support campaigns for fair and ethical treatment of garment workers worldwide.

Jenny , Llanfairfechan, UK