Bosun (Compuknit)
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Australian school sock brand made by a family sock manufacturer.
Bosun (Compuknit) makes its school socks in its own factories in Australia and carries the Australian Made label.
Also worth knowing
Ethical Clothing Australia checks that every worker in its Australian supply chain is paid award wages and entitlements.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 5 of 6 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 5 of 6
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: award wages independently checked (Ethical Clothing Australia)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Accreditations 2
- Ethical Clothing AustraliaCounts as proof of a living wage for products made in Australia, because it checks workers get the legal pay rates for their job, and in Australia those are about a living wage.
- Australian MadeCounts as made in Australia for the final stage. For Good, the brand also needs to show where its materials and parts are made.
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Bosun (Compuknit)'s evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
Socks: On Track, the same as Bosun (Compuknit) overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
- A product made without cotton: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
From Bosun (Compuknit)'s own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Owns or runs its own production
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Bosun socks are made by Compuknit at its own factory in Thomastown, Victoria, where the company says every production process takes place. Bosun is accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia with all of its products made in Australia, which means its local supply chain is checked for award wages and entitlements; the same company also makes the ECA-accredited Soxy Beast brand. No living wage figures are published beyond Australian award rates, and no labour abuse findings were found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Clothing Australia | Certified | Currently accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia with 100% of products made in Australia. View |
| Fair Wear | Not listed | No indication of Fair Wear membership. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No indication of B Corp certification. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour allegations found in news or NGO reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Ethical Clothing Australia: Bosun · search the archive · Accredited; '100% Made in Australia'; dress, traditional and sports school socks; links to Compu Knit Hosiery Australia Pty Ltd.
- Ethical Clothing Australia: Brand sitemap · search the archive · Bosun is among the 56 brands in ECA's current directory (page updated 1 November 2026).
- Shop Ethical: Compuknit Hosiery · search the archive · Third-generation family-run sock manufacturer, all products made in Australia; owns Soxy Beast; ECA accredited.
- ABN Lookup: Compu Knit Hosiery Australia · search the archive · Compu Knit Hosiery Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 14 078 904 828), active, based in VIC 3074 (Thomastown).
Published by Bosun (Compuknit) or its owner
- Compuknit · search the archive · Every process conducted on site at its Thomastown, Victoria factory; '100% Quality | 100% Australian'; third-generation family business.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Bosun (Compuknit) ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bosun, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Bosun (Compuknit).