H&M prides itself on a commitment to selling stylish, inexpensive clothing that has been produced under fair labor conditions. But a recent inquiry into Gokaldas Export, a clothing supplier for H&M as well as Marks & Spencer, confirms that the company has paid its factory workers as little as $4.41 for a 9-hour shift.

The low wage violates minimum international labor standards set up by the Ethical Trading Initiation (ETI), an organization that establishes the basic rights of workers within the global supply chain. As it so happens, H&M is a member of ETI, so the revelation that its suppliers violate labor standards creates quite a PR crisis for the company.

It should be noted that the labor report inquiry also suggested that often companies unknowingly violate the standards of ETI in order to keep up with consumer demand.

Oddly enough, I didn't even know H&M had fair labor standards until about two months ago, so I can't say that I'm shocked to find out that my gut instinct about the retailer had been correct.

Are you surprised that a company like H&M uses low-wage workers to produce low-cost clothing?