Tontine
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 4 sources
Australian bedding brand selling pillows and quilts.
Tontine makes most of its pillows, quilts and mattress protectors in Australia, where legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It carries the Australian Made label.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 3 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 3 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Australia are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that 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 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Tontine names some of the countries it makes in: Australia. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 80% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 3% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | 2% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- "Made in Australia" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
- 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 Tontine says over 80% of its products are made at its Melbourne factory, where staff work under Australian awards, and owner John Cotton Australia is an Australian Made licensee. Wool fillings come from Australian farms, and many pillows and quilts have cotton covers. Where the remaining imported products and the cotton fabric come from is not disclosed, and no supplier list, audit results, modern slavery statement or living wage commitment is published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Unclear | No modern slavery statement from John Cotton Australia or Tontine was located on the Australian register; it may be below the reporting threshold. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Unclear | No statement from John Cotton Group was found on the UK modern slavery statement registry. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports, which do not cover bedding makers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- John Cotton Australia (Australian Made licensee) · search the archive · Brands Tontine, Crestell, Gainsborough; about 90% Australian made; Campbellfield factory; sold at Big W, Myer, David Jones, Target
- Classic Comfort Cotton Standard Pillows - Temple & Webster · search the archive · Tontine pillow range with cotton covers
- Tontine pillow - Bunnings Warehouse · search the archive · Tontine pillows sold in Bunnings stores
Published by Tontine or its owner
- The Tontine story · search the archive · Over 80% of products Australian made at Melbourne factory; Australian wool fillings; organic cotton used
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Tontine ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/tontine, 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 Tontine.