MICHELLE Mone, the
Glasgow-based underwear tycoon, last night denied claims that Chinese factory workers who make her garments work in poor conditions.
An investigation by a newspaper reported that workers at the plant in southern China earn (pounds) 1 a day, sleep in crowded dormitories and get only one holiday a year.
Ms Mone, the founder of the MJM International lingerie company, which makes the Ultimo brand, insisted that the facility in Dongguan, near Hong Kong, which also makes clothing for other leading high street brands, was not a ''sweatshop''.
The newspaper said the plant's 800 workers paid for board and lodgings and were prevented by guards from leaving during work hours. The women who manufacture the Ultimo bras, which retail for around (pounds) 25 each, work six days a week for (pounds) 33 a month, said the report.
However, Ms Mone said: ''The factories we use for production of our garments fully comply with local government regulations. In addition to this we and all our customers have our own strict guidelines in which to operate. We visit our factories on a regular basis and we only ever use factories that other top international brands and high street brands use.
''We don't and have never used sweatshops, even though we could make more profits if we were manufacturing in sweatshops.''
Ms Mone, 34, who was branded ''nasty'' by Rod Stewart after she replaced his girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, with his ex-wife, Rachel Hunter, to model Ultimo's range, said she was fed up with criticism.
''This is just wearing me down. I'm trying to create jobs in Scotland and create a worldwide brand in Scotland, and this is what you get,'' she said.
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