Total Tools
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Australia's largest chain of professional tool stores.
There's no proof Total Tools 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 doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (unpaid or underpaid wages, last recorded in 2024) 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. Total Tools looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unpaid or underpaid wages in 2024 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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and India, 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
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
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
These are Metcash's countries across all its brands; Total Tools doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Graded on Total Tools' own imported brands, about 15% of what it stocks; the rest are third-party tool brands it resells. Metcash said in FY25 that about 90% of these own-brand products are made in China and Taiwan, without a split, through 96 exclusive suppliers. Only 59% of those suppliers shared audit reports in FY25; Metcash's FY26 statement says audits are now mandatory for overseas private-label sites. No factory list or living wage commitment is published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Metcash's FY25 modern slavery statement: Total Tools used 96 exclusive overseas suppliers, and 59% of them shared third-party audit reports. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Monash University's 2024 ranking of ASX100 modern slavery statements gave Metcash a B for disclosure quality. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report (2024) or Electronics Industry Report, which do not cover tool retailers. (2024 edition; latest is 2026) 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Metcash reported that a China-based factory supplying Total Tools underpaid overtime and kept workers on excessive hours, problems that appeared systemic (Metcash Modern Slavery Statement FY25).Found 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. | PartlyTotal Tools stopped using the factory after it refused to fix the problems; no repayment to workers is reported. |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Total Tools / Metcash - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Total Tools owned by Metcash via Independent Hardware Group; Metcash graded B by Monash University (2024)
Published by Total Tools or its owner
- Metcash Modern Slavery Statement FY25 · search the archive · ~15% own brands; ~90% made in China and Taiwan; 96 exclusive suppliers, 59% audited; China factory dropped over overtime and hours
- Metcash Modern Slavery Statement 2026 · search the archive · FY26: Hardware audit reports from about 45% of overseas suppliers; audits mandatory for overseas private-label sites; no new Hardware findings
- Metcash Modern Slavery Statement FY24 · search the archive · 13% of stock own brands sourced direct; China sourcing office runs inspections and social audits
- Metcash Modern Slavery Statement 2022 · search the archive · Total Tools sourced directly from 157 factories in China and Taiwan; about 60% had social audits
Company details
- Owned by
- Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS)
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Total Tools ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/total-tools, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded appliances
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Total Tools.