Workers Rights & Ethics
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Wednesday, 24 April 2024Worker's rights campaign groups part ways
AMSTERDAM - Two of the leading organisations dedicated to improving the pay and conditions of garment workers in global supply chains are to go their separate ways after a quarter of a century. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has announced that it… -
Thursday, 18 April 2024Xinjiang forced labour risk platform launched
BOSTON / SHEFFIELD - An open access platform which analyses shipping and customs data, import and export records and supply chain data to assess forced labour risks in the Xinjiang region of China has been launched. The Supply Trace platform - which… -
Wednesday, 17 April 2024Call to probe Shein, Temu 'forced labour links'
WASHINGTON DC - US Senator Marco Rubio is calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to investigate Chinese-owned retail giants Shein and Temu for alleged links to forced labour in the Xinjiang region of China. Rubio wrote to DHS Secretary… -
Tuesday, 09 April 2024Armani to co-operate over worker abuse claims
MILAN - Italian fashion group Armani has pledged to co-operate with the authorities after one of its subsidiaries was accused of indirectly subcontracting production to companies in Milan which paid workers as little as €2 ($2.17) an hour. It comes… -
Thursday, 04 April 2024Levi's accused of breaking pledge to workers
URFA - Denim giant Levi's has been accused by campaigners of breaking a promise to garment workers involved in a dispute over union recognition at one of its suppliers in Turkey. Workers at the Ozak/Kubrateks factory in the south-eastern city of… -
Wednesday, 03 April 2024Call for better data sharing on forced labour
LONDON - The Tech Against Trafficking (TAT) coalition has launched a new report which calls for better data sharing on forced labour issues in global supply chains. TAT makes recommendations to businesses, policy makers and civil society to enable… -
Tuesday, 02 April 2024Worker abuse reports 'triple' in Myanmar
YANGON - Reports of labour rights violations in factories in Myanmar increased by nearly 300% last year, according to the Myanmar Labour News platform which monitors worker complaints. Myanmar Labour News (MLN) says it reported a total of 455 cases… -
Tuesday, 02 April 2024Brands urged to back arrested garment workers
DHAKA - Workers rights campaigners are urging fashion brands sourcing from Bangladesh to step up and pressure their suppliers to drop criminal cases against garment workers who were arrested during last year's protests over the minimum wage. The… -
Tuesday, 02 April 2024Water crisis facing apparel supply chains, report
LONDON – Global supply chains are under threat from a growing water crisis according to new research from global non-profit CDP, with the apparel sector offering mixed results in terms of reporting levels and overall performance. Presenting its… -
Thursday, 28 March 2024Fair Wear and Cascale partner on due diligence
AMSTERDAM – Not-for-profit Fair Wear has teamed up with Cascale, formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, in a joint bid to improve conditions for workers in garment and consumer goods factories around the world. The new strategic… -
Wednesday, 27 March 2024EU-UN project to support migrant workers
BANGKOK - The European Union and the United Nations have launched a joint initiative to help strengthen the rights of women migrant workers and children in southeast Asia. The three-year ‘Protect’ project will work to promote decent work and reduce… -
Monday, 25 March 2024Companies struggling with reporting requirements, poll
LONDON - Sustainability professionals are struggling to cope with increasingly complex reporting requirements with some trying to align with up to eight different ESG frameworks, according to a new poll. The survey of 500 sustainability decision… -
Friday, 22 March 2024Ethical Trading Initiative voices Bangladesh concerns
LONDON - The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) has expressed concern about the number of arrests, ongoing detentions, pending court cases and actions taken against garment workers in Bangladesh The ETI said it was especially concerned by the use of… -
Friday, 22 March 2024US brands urged to pay laid off workers
SAN SALVADOR - US apparel company Hanesbrands and Californian cycling giant Specialized are being urged to compensate garment workers in El Salvador who are still owed $659,000 in unpaid wages and severance a year and a half after losing their jobs.… -
Friday, 22 March 2024Fair Wear awards Pangaia 'leader' status
LONDON – Materials science brand Pangaia has been awarded 'leader' status for its concern for workers in its supply chain in its first ever performance check by the Fair Wear non-profit. Fair Wear acknowledged Pangaia's commitment to ethical… -
Thursday, 21 March 2024EOCA welcomes new funding partner
KENDAL – The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) has welcomed a new signatory to its ‘Sustaining Membership’ category, adding to the growing list of companies that provide vital additional funding for the organisation’s core… -
Wednesday, 20 March 2024Official launch for recycled polyester directory
MUNICH - The Accelerating Circularity initiative has today officially launched its database of commercially available textile-to-textile recycled polyester. The launch of the rPolyester Database took place this morning as part of the Reality Zone… -
Tuesday, 19 March 2024
AAFA urges Bangladesh to end garment worker detentions
DHAKA - The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) has called on the Bangladesh government and the country’s major textile industry trade body to end the ongoing detention and the continued threat of detention, of thousands of workers… -
Tuesday, 19 March 2024Profits from forced labour up 37%, report
GENEVA - Annual profits from forced labour rose to $236 billion globally in 2021 - a 37% increase since 2014, according to a new study from the International Labour Organization (ILO). Forced labour is a major concern in the fashion and textiles… -
Wednesday, 13 March 2024Textile firms drop SBTi scope 3 commitments
LONDON - More than 40 fashion retailers and textile and clothing manufacturers have had their Science Based Targets initiative-approved (SBTi) net-zero commitments removed after it emerged that previously agreed scope 3 reduction targets were… -
Monday, 04 March 2024500 garment factories join safety programme
AMSTERDAM - More than 500 garment factories across India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia have now joined the Life and Building Safety (LABS) programme to improve worker safety. LABS, set up by the Dutch sustainable trade initiative IDH, is… -
Monday, 04 March 2024SBTi reports address supply chain strategies
LONDON - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has released two new reports to support the design and implementation of beyond value chain mitigation (BVCM) strategies and mobilise increased action from corporations, including fashion and… -
Thursday, 29 February 2024Textile workers' rise branded 'insufficient'
DHAKA - Textile workers in Bangladesh have been awarded a 75% rise in their minimum wage - however, the new level of BDT 10,000 ($90) per month has been branded insufficient by trade unions. It comes three months after the country's garment workers… -
Tuesday, 27 February 2024VF extends support for female garment workers
DENVER - VF Corp has extended its support for a programme that helps women garment workers who have lost their jobs as a result of increased automation, re-enter employment. The owner of major brands such as Timberland, Vans, Dickies and North Face,… -
Tuesday, 27 February 2024Fairtrade probes Bangladesh factory attack
GAZIPUR - Fairtrade has launched an investigation into allegations that union officials were beaten up outside the gates of one of its certified garment factories in Bangladesh. Shariful Islam and Jagdish Babu, of the Akota Garment Worker Federation… -
Friday, 23 February 2024Inditex ramps up aid donations
ARTEIXO - Inditex, owner of the Zara brand says it has reinforced its commitment to the emergency programmes of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the refugee relief work being done by the humanitarian organisation in Bangladesh and Mexico,… -
Thursday, 22 February 2024Union officials attacked at Fairtrade factory
GAZIPUR - Union officials who tried to help garment workers set up a trade union at a Bangladeshi supplier to global brands and retailers, including H&M and Next, were threatened and beaten, according to campaigners. Shariful Islam and Jagdish Babu,… -
Wednesday, 21 February 2024Report shines light on gender pay gap
NEW YORK - A comprehensive report on gender inequality in the clothing and textile manufacturing sector has found significant pay gaps in favour of men across the global supply chain. The report, carried out by the non-profit Anker Research… -
Wednesday, 21 February 2024OECD garment sector forum opens in Paris
PARIS - The 10th OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector opened in Paris this morning with an urgent call for direct support to vulnerable actors in supply chains. Antonio Gomes, deputy director of the OECD's directorate for… -
Tuesday, 20 February 2024US, Japan discuss workers' rights in Xinjiang
WASHINGTON DC / TOKYO - Forced labour in the Xinjiang region was a major focus of the first round of talks between the US and Japan on the implementation of a joint task force on workers' rights in supply chains. Launched last year, the US-Japan… -
Tuesday, 20 February 2024Garment workers take part in mass India strike day
NEW DELHI - Millions of workers in India, including representatives from the textile and garment sector, carried out a one-day strike last week to highlight the issues of working people ahead of the country’s upcoming general elections this year.… -
Friday, 16 February 2024Garment workers 'attacked by factory bosses'
COLOMBO - Garment workers were attacked by their managers as they arrived at their factory in Sri Lanka where they were set to go on strike, according to the IndustriALL global union. The incident happened at the Hasalaka factory in the capital city… -
Friday, 16 February 2024Brands urged to review Myanmar sourcing
YANGON - The Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) has urged brands still sourcing from Myanmar to consider withdrawing from the country following the introduction of conscription by the country's military leaders. Myanmar’s junta has declared mandatory… -
Thursday, 15 February 2024ETI appoints former diplomat as new executive director
LONDON - The Ethical Trading Initiative has appointed former diplomat and Tesco group sustainability director Giles Bolton, as its new executive director. Bolton joins from the UK retail giant where over a 15 year career he built and led a team of… -
Wednesday, 14 February 2024Xinjiang forced labour still 'increasing'
WASHINGTON DC - China is continuing to increase its policy of employing forced labour to subjugate Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic groups in the country's Xinjiang region, according to new research from a leading expert. Adrian Zenz, a senior fellow… -
Tuesday, 13 February 2024Recycling specialist presents circular textiles plan
ASKER - Recycling and sorting specialist Tomra has published a new research paper in which it which it outlines some of the strategies and technologies it believes are required for the transition to a circular value chain in the textile industry.… -
Tuesday, 13 February 2024Union leader shot in Turkish garment factory
IZMIR - The Fair Labor Association (FLA) is calling for justice following the shooting of a trade union leader at a garment factory in the Turkish city of Izmir. Makum Alagöz, president of the Leather Weaving and Textile Workers’ Union (DERITEKS),… -
Tuesday, 13 February 2024BASF to sell-off Xinjiang interests
LUDWIGSHAFEN - Chemical giant BASF says it is to divest stakes in two joint ventures in the Xinjiang region of China, amid concerns over humans rights violations and carbon emissions. BASF said it would be exiting its partnerships with BASF Markor… -
Friday, 09 February 2024IndustriALL welcomes Cambodia dispute resolution
TAKEO - Cambodia-based shoe manufacturer Pontus Footwear, which supplies major global brands such as VF Corp, has agreed to reinstate three local union leaders following their dismissal 12 months ago over the establishment of union representation… -
Friday, 09 February 2024Forced labour report authors admit error
SHEFFIELD - Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University have admitted a significant error in a recent report which claimed that 39 global brands and retailers were at "high risk" of selling goods linked to forced labour in Europe. The university's… -
Thursday, 08 February 2024Adidas supplier reinstates sacked workers
PHNOM PENH - An Adidas sportswear supplier in Cambodia has agreed to reinstate and pay backpay to eight garment workers who were laid off in 2020 after they formed a union to seek better working conditions. Trax Apparel has agreed to take back the… -
Wednesday, 07 February 2024RadiciGroup outlines sustainability 'roadmap'
BERGAMO – Italian chemicals, plastics and synthetic fibres producer RadiciGroup has published its latest environmental, social and governance (ESG) plan in which it sets out a series of targets aimed at boosting its overall sustainability… -
Tuesday, 06 February 2024Lenzing and Kering earn triple ‘A’ rating from CDP
LENZING – Cellulosic fibre specialist Lenzing and French fashion conglomerate Kering have been named as two of only 10 companies in the world, and the only ones active in the textile and fashion industry, to achieve a triple A score on environmental… -
Tuesday, 06 February 2024Vietnam 'forced labour' exports overtake China
WASHINGTON DC - Vietnam overtook China last year as the country having the most textile and apparel exports to the USA intercepted under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The US Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) interactive… -
Monday, 05 February 2024SLCP completes spin off from SAC
AMSTERDAM / SAN FRANCISCO – The Dutch-based Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) has completed its planned spin-off from the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) to become an independent non-profit. However, the two organisations say they will… -
Monday, 05 February 2024Africa project to focus on circular textiles
PRETORIA - The National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA), in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), has officially launched a new project aimed at advancing the circular economy in Africa's… -
Friday, 02 February 2024NCTO welcomes action on unfair trade practices
WASHINGTON – The US-based National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has welcomed the launch of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) textile enforcement plan aimed at eradicating unfair trade practices. The DHS has been under pressure to… -
Friday, 02 February 2024Report highlights Uzbek forced labour issues
BERLIN – A report by Cotton Campaign member, the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights on the country's 2023 cotton harvest, has found that local officials resorted to forced labour in districts with a shortage of voluntary pickers, forcing some employees of… -
Wednesday, 31 January 2024Brands 'complicit in Myanmar coup abuse'
YANGON - Fashion giants including H&M, Zara owner Inditex and Bestseller have been linked to worsening conditions for garment workers in Myanmar following the military coup of February 2021. New data, compiled by the Business & Human Rights Resource… -
Friday, 26 January 2024Pakistan Accord hits signatory milestone
AMSTERDAM - A total of 100 global brands and retailers have now committed to the Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry (Pakistan Accord). The milestone was reached this week with Original Marines, Turner Bianca,…
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