Politix
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Australian menswear retailer selling suits and shirts.
There's no proof Politix pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (unsafe conditions, last recorded in 2025) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
- Checks its own supply chain. Politix looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unsafe conditions in 2025 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rights96% of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not 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 listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
China has the largest share, 87%. Bangladesh is next, at 4%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 87% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 2% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | 2% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| India | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Thailand | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- 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 Politix menswear is made by independent suppliers through Country Road Group, which in FY25 used 203 supplier factories in 13 countries with 87% of units made in China and small shares from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, India and Thailand; Politix publishes no label-specific factory or country breakdown. In 2019 it said its shirts and chinos would use ethically sourced cotton and its leather goods would meet Leather Working Group standards, which cover tannery environment more than labour. The group publishes a factory list, has signed the International Accord and scored 30/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (down from 50 in 2024), with no published proof of living wages.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Ethical Fashion Report 2026: Country Road Group scored 30/100 (average 31.5), down from 50/100 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Fashion Transparency Index 2023: parent Woolworths Holdings scored 29%, close to the 26% average. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Country Road Group's joint FY25 modern slavery statement, which names Politix as one of its five brands. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Country Road Group's FY25 modern slavery statement reports that a supplier secretly used an unapproved informal workshop to make group products, with hazardous casting and moulding work, poor fire protection and a childcare area too close to dangerous equipment; the statement does not say which label, including Politix, the goods were for (Country Road Group, 2025). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyCountry Road Group issued the supplier a formal notice and moved production to an audited factory; no remedy for the workshop's workers was reported. |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Good Shopping Guide: Politix · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Country Road Group 30/100 (average 31.5); Accord signatory (2025); FTI 2023 29% for Woolworths Holdings
- Politix MD Peter Mitchley-Hughes: we are definitely maturing (Ragtrader, 2019) · search the archive · Products designed in-house in Melbourne; 2019 goals for ethically sourced cotton in shirts and chinos and LWG leather goods
- Country Road Group uncovers hidden subcontractor workshop · search the archive · Unapproved workshop found on a factory visit; statement did not specify which brand's product was made there
Published by Politix or its owner
- Country Road Group Modern Slavery Statement FY25 · search the archive · Covers Country Road, MIMCO, POLITIX, Trenery, Witchery; 203 factories in 13 countries; China 87% of units; unapproved workshop
- Promoting responsible leather manufacturing (Country Road) · search the archive · Group has worked with the Leather Working Group since 2017 and sources leather via LWG-rated tanneries; no share given
- Country Road: Supply chain · search the archive · Group factory list link, Accord signatory, endorses Anker living wage methodology
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 425
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Politix ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/politix, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded suits and tailoring
No suits and tailoring brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Politix.