Brazil's labour ministry said a supplier for Spanish clothing retailer Zara submitted workers to slave-like working conditions.

A ministry spokeswoman said that in July its inspectors found 16 undocumented Bolivians working long hours in unhealthy conditions in two facilities in Sao Paulo.

The facilities had been outsourced by the supplier to produce clothing for Zara's stores in Brazil.

The spokeswoman did not provide further details.

Zara's Madrid-based owner Inditex said in a statement that the case involved the "unauthorised outsourcing by a Brazilian supplier" and the company will work with the Labour Ministry to make sure "cases like his are not repeated".

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