Social Compliance & CSR News
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Tuesday, 14 September 2021Bangladesh factories 'more dangerous' - study
DHAKA - Garment factories have become more dangerous in Bangladesh since the closure of safety initiatives set up to represent brands and retailers following the Rana Plaza disaster, according to a new report. The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)… -
Friday, 10 September 2021Call to extend new safety Accord to Pakistan
KARACHI - Campaigners are marking the anniversary of a horrific garment factory fire in Pakistan by backing plans for a new workplace safety initiative for Bangladesh to be extended to other countries. More than 250 workers were killed in the blaze… -
Thursday, 09 September 2021California wage bill clears another hurdle
CALIFORNIA - A bill which would require Californian garment factories to pay their workers hourly - instead of a 'piece-rate' which can leave them earning less than the minimum wage - has cleared a key hurdle. The Garment Worker Protection Act, also… -
Tuesday, 07 September 2021Sri Lankan manufacturers hit back at campaigners
COLOMBO – Garment manufacturers in Sri Lanka have again crossed swords with workers' rights campaigners over the protection of factory workers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sri Lanka’s Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) has criticised the Clean… -
Monday, 06 September 2021International microfibre shedding standard getting closer
BRUSSELS - A sector alliance that was formed to tackle issues relating to microplastics has completed the next phase of its project to develop a harmonised industry standard for the supply chain, according to European textile industry trade body,… -
Wednesday, 01 September 202177 fashion companies back new safety Accord
DHAKA - The new International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry - which aims to ensure workplace safety for garment workers in Bangladesh - has come into effect with 77 international apparel brands and retailers so far… -
Wednesday, 01 September 2021Garment workers' pay 'increases by up to 57%'
WASHINGTON DC - A new report by the Fair Labor Association (FLA) non-profit details how apparel factories in China and Vietnam were able to increase workers' wages by up to 57 per cent over a three year period. The FLA says the cases provide a… -
Tuesday, 31 August 2021Call to protect garment workers from COVID
SOUTH ASIA - More than 50 organisations have issued a joint call to brands, governments and employers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to keep workers safe during the current third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The workers' rights groups, NGOs and trade… -
Tuesday, 31 August 2021Garment workers 'risking COVID in Myanmar'
YANGON - Garment workers in Myanmar are working in factories without measures to protect them from COVID-19, according to the IndustriALL global trade union. The IndustriALL-affiliated Industrial Workers’ Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) says two of its… -
Tuesday, 31 August 2021
BGMEA questions jurisdiction of new Accord
DHAKA - The trade body representing garment factory owners in Bangladesh says that a new 'legally-binding agreement' on workplace safety will have no legal jurisdiction in the country. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association… -
Friday, 27 August 2021New Accord will target North American brands
DHAKA - Campaigners are hoping that North American brands can be persuaded to join their European counterparts in signing up to a new legally-binding agreement on garment worker safety in Bangladesh. Leading fashion companies - including H&M, Zara… -
Friday, 27 August 2021Garment worker unions ask for US$200 a month
PHNOM PENH - Trade unions representing garment workers in Cambodia are asking for their minimum wage to be increased to US$200 per month from the beginning of next year. The Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC), which represents… -
Thursday, 26 August 2021
More brands back new worker safety agreement
DHAKA - More leading fashion companies - including Zara owner Inditex, retail giant C&A and Danish retailer Bestseller - have confirmed they have signed up to a new legally binding agreement on workplace safety in Bangladesh. The International… -
Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Brands sign up to new Accord on Bangladesh
DHAKA - Brands and trade unions have signed a new agreement on workplace safety in Bangladesh to replace the legally binding deal behind the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh which expires at the end of this month. The new two year… -
Wednesday, 25 August 2021Call for factories to close to protect workers
COLOMBO - Trade union leaders in Sri Lanka are calling on the government to reverse a decision to exempt garment factories from a lockdown to tackle a spike in the highly contagious Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. The Free Trade Zones and… -
Thursday, 19 August 2021Brands 'exposed to risks if Accord expires'
DHAKA - New and upcoming human rights due diligence legislation could see brands exposed to liability risks if they fail to extend the legal agreement behind the Bangladesh Accord which is due to expire in two weeks’ time, say campaigners. However,… -
Tuesday, 17 August 2021Brands urge Biden to help Vietnam tackle virus
WASHINGTON DC - More than 90 brands have jointly written to US President Joe Biden urging him to make more COVID-19 vaccines available to Vietnam because of the country's importance in their supply chains. Leading brands, including Gap, New Balance,… -
Monday, 16 August 2021
Millions 'put out of work by COVID-19' – ILO
SOUTH ASIA – More than nine million people have put out of work due to restrictions related to COVID-19 in South Asia this year, according to a new policy brief from the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ASEAN region – which includes… -
Friday, 13 August 2021XPCC 'selling Xinjiang cotton despite sanctions'
WASHINGTON DC - A giant economic and paramilitary organisation which controls much of the cotton industry in the Xinjiang region of China - where it has been linked to human rights abuses against imprisoned Uyghur Muslims - is continuing to profit… -
Wednesday, 11 August 2021
New hub to boost supply chain sustainability
ASIA - A new digital gateway which aims to share knowledge and resources on decent work and sustainable business practices across the garment industry supply chain in Asia has been launched. The Asia Garment Hub is a joint project by the… -
Tuesday, 10 August 2021Modern slavery toolkit launched for SMEs
GLOBAL - The Global Business Coalition against Human Trafficking (GBCAT) initiative has launched a toolkit to help smaller businesses in global supply chains identify and address risks of modern slavery. GBCAT says such companies are more likely to… -
Monday, 09 August 2021BGMEA calls for help in vaccinating workers
DHAKA - Garment factory owners in Bangladesh are seeking support from the US and the European Union (EU) in vaccinating the country's garment workers against COVID-19. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president… -
Thursday, 29 July 2021Solidarity Center to support Cambodian workers
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s Labour Ministry has signed an agreement with the US-based Solidarity Center, which will focus on protecting workers’ rights in sectors such as garment manufacturing. The NGO, formerly known as the American Center for… -
Monday, 26 July 2021Unions to get tough in Cambodia pay rise talks
PHNOM PENH – Workers union representatives in Cambodia are still hopeful that overflowing order books will be instrumental in garment workers getting a more favourable deal from the upcoming 2022 wage talks. -
Friday, 23 July 2021Modern slavery concerns overlooked, report suggests
LONDON – A new report published by researchers from the universities of Liverpool and Nottingham suggests that amid the global pandemic, commercial and operational risks were prioritised by companies ahead of modern slavery concerns. ‘Implications… -
Friday, 23 July 2021Armani vows to reduce GHG emissions
MILAN – Italian fashion giant The Armani Group has vowed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 per cent over the next decade. The company says it is targeting a 50 per cent reduction in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2030 (from a 2019 base… -
Friday, 23 July 2021Unity needed on German microplastic waste
BONN - The production and household washing of sportswear such as fleece jackets and running gear results in around 10 tons of textile microplastics being released into the environment in Germany every year, according to the findings of a… -
Thursday, 22 July 2021Companies rally around California wage bill
CALIFORNIA – More than 140 businesses have come out in support of the Garment Worker Protection Act (SB 62), as state senator Maria Elena Durazo looks to push through what would be a historic bill for California. A press conference was hosted… -
Thursday, 22 July 2021Chinese factories 'laying off Xinjiang workers'
QINGDAO - Chinese apparel factories that make goods sold in the US for brands, including Nike, are reportedly laying off workers from the Xinjiang region to distance themselves from forced labour concerns. Several factories, including a subsidiary… -
Tuesday, 20 July 2021
COVID costs garment workers nearly $12bn
GLOBAL - Garment workers are owed US$11.85 billion in unpaid wages and severance money as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic so far, according to new research by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). The report, entitled 'Still Un(der)paid', builds on… -
Thursday, 15 July 2021SBTi to increase minimum target to 1.5C
LONDON - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has updated its minimum requirement for corporate climate action to the more ambitious 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement. Previously companies were expected to at least set targets in line with… -
Tuesday, 13 July 2021COVID awareness campaign underway in Bangladesh
DHAKA – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a COVID-19 Behaviour Change Awareness Campaign in Bangladesh in a bid to educate and protect workers in the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector. The campaign targets households… -
Friday, 09 July 2021
California worker protection bill makes progress
CALIFORNIA – The Garment Worker Protection Act, also known as SB 62, has passed through California’s Assembly Judiciary Committee, as workers’ rights activists again try to tackle poverty pay across the state’s apparel manufacturing industry by way… -
Tuesday, 29 June 2021GoodWeave bid to help eliminate child labour
WASHINGTON DC - Workers' rights non-profit GoodWeave International has released a five-part series of practice briefs to help companies eliminate child labour from their supply chains. GoodWeave International says it wanted to make the resource… -
Friday, 25 June 2021Cash help for garment workers in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH – The Cambodian government has announced financial help for the country's garment workers who were said to be at risk of running out of money and food during a recent COVID-19 lockdown. The Ministry of Labour announced a programme worth… -
Monday, 21 June 2021Factory initiatives team up to support workers
AMSTERDAM – Responsible business initiatives Fair Wear Foundation, the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST) have come together to share resources and improve access to… -
Monday, 21 June 2021Research spotlights forced labour concerns
SHEFFIELD – Research into fashion supply chains has found that the coronavirus pandemic and the inadequate efforts of brands and retailers to protect their supply chains has increased workers’ vulnerability to forced labour. Academics at the… -
Monday, 21 June 2021Dutch agreement on supply chains shows progress
AMSTERDAM – The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) has published its latest annual report, which highlights that progress has been made by signatories despite the effects of COVID-19. The AGT brings together companies, trade… -
Monday, 14 June 2021Bangladesh reforms crisis management committee
DHAKA – Bangladesh has reformed a crisis management core committee launched back in 2010 as it looks to resolve unrest and address the ready-made garment (RMG) sector’s broader labour issues. The committee will be led by the country’s state minister… -
Tuesday, 08 June 2021UK launches workers’ rights watchdog
LONDON – The UK government has launched a new workers’ rights watchdog which it says will “take action against companies that turn a blind eye to abuses in their supply chains”. In particular, authorities are keen to address compliance within the… -
Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Forced labour at factories implicates brands
TAMIL NADU – The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and South Asian workers’ rights organisation Arisa have unearthed evidence of forced labour in India’s cotton supply network, implicating brands such as Tesco, Zeeman, Gap and… -
Wednesday, 26 May 2021VF Corp pledges to help eliminate child labour
DENVER – VF Corporation, which owns the likes of The North Face, Vans and Timberland, has pledged to protect children's rights in support of the UN International Year For The Elimination Of Child Labour. VF has announced that it is creating a new… -
Thursday, 20 May 2021PVH pays for nutrition services in Bangladesh
DHAKA – Fashion giant PVH Corp, which owns the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, has announced a new partnership with non-profit The Power of Nutrition, through which women in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector will benefit from new… -
Monday, 17 May 2021Sedex tool highlights forced labour indicators
LONDON – Ethical sourcing organisation Sedex has developed the 'Forced Labour Indicators tool' in a bid to sound the alarm on cases of exploitation within supply chains. More than 10 per cent of Sedex members are in the apparel sector, each of which… -
Thursday, 13 May 2021LA garment factory fined for worker violations
CALIFORNIA – An investigation by the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has found one garment factory to be in breach of the Fair Labor Standards Act, having underpaid workers and failed to maintain payroll records. The Sew Nice factory… -
Tuesday, 06 April 2021Garment workers call for better contract terms
GLOBAL – Apparel suppliers across Asia have come together to demand better contracts from fashion brands and retailers. A draft document, seen by Reuters, comes after many high-street names pulled orders upon the global outbreak of the coronavirus,… -
Friday, 12 March 2021
Academics reimagine supply chains to promote fair labour
SHEFFIELD – A team of researchers from the University of Sheffield, Stanford University and Yale University have launched a project that it says will “reimagine business models and global supply chains to promote fair, equitable labour standards in… -
Wednesday, 10 March 2021Remake ‘Week of Action’ targets consumer engagement
SAN FRANCISCO – Almost a year since launching its #PayUp campaign, workers’ rights NGO Remake has embarked on a ‘Week of Action’, focusing on educating consumers on the plights of garment workers and rallying more people around its cause. It was the… -
Monday, 08 March 2021Worker dead after Bangladeshi factory fire
GAZIPUR – One garment worker has died and more than 20 injured after a fire broke out at a textile chemicals factory in the Bangladeshi city of Gazipur. The deceased has been identified as 23-year-old Masum Sikder, who it’s suspected might’ve died… -
Friday, 05 March 2021Fashion Makes Change launches first consumer programme
NEW YORK – The Fashion Makes Change (FMC) initiative, launched last year by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) with the backing of fashion brands and retailers across the industry, has kick-started its first programme to support the education…
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