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.

The below labour standards are the fundamental values we strive to communicate and support throughout all garment and product manufacturers Montane works with. To raise and maintain awareness with all of the workers, these standards are displayed in the local language of all factories we work with. Workers also receive training about the CoLP, which builds understanding and supports open dialogue between factory management and the workers.

An anonymous complaints mechanism operated by Fair Wear and their member brands further supports transparency of working conditions, and gives workers a voice. Working together with Fair Wear and any other member brands present in the factory, we work hard to resolve any concerns raised quickly. Our factories also undergo regular audits, to ensure that our high standards are being upheld.

Employment is freely chosen

Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining

No discrimination in employment

No exploitation of child labour

Payment of a living wage

Reasonable hours of work

Safe and healthy working conditions

A legally binding employment relationship

Upon joining the FWF, Montane joined a community of brands working hard to improve working conditions and transparency in the garment industry. Working together in this way gives us a collective voice, which ultimately increases the influence we have and enables us to really make a positive difference.

Our FWF membership also provides us with continuous training and support that builds our own understanding of the challenges faced by different production countries, legislative changes and how best we can work together with factories to create meaningful change.

This membership and the work it requires, strengthens our confidence in the factories we work with, in turn giving you confidence that by purchasing from Montane you are supporting improved conditions and working rights for the people who make your products. To facilitate easy and strong working relationships with other FW brands, Montane discloses 100% of the factories who produce for Montane.

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

In 2021 Montane published our first Social Report, which highlights the work we have undertaken with our manufacturers since our FWF membership began in 2019. Going forwards, we will publish a Social Report annually, to share with you the work we have been doing around social compliance, 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 to achieve maximum effectiveness. It is this BPC which ultimately makes brands accountable and pushes us to do better each year. Reviewing the previous years work, we undertook our first BPC in 2021 and received a ‘good’ rating from FWF.

“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

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.

For more information on the work Montane is doing to improve our social and environmental responsibility, visit our Further Forever pages below.