Social Compliance & CSR News
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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 2021Academics 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… -
Thursday, 25 February 2021
Levi’s, Kontoor back abuse awareness initiative
LESOTHO – A new programme launched in the African nation of Lesotho will combat gender-based violence and harassment in the apparel industry via awareness training and a confidential reporting system. The initiative, which will support an initial… -
Thursday, 18 February 2021
Supply chain initiative to tackle worker exploitation
WASHINGTON – A new pilot project led by workers’ rights NGO Verité that will test the potential for tracing technologies to uncover cases of exploitation within fashion supply chains has been backed with a US$4 million grant. The Supply Chain… -
Monday, 15 February 2021
Fair Wear Foundation unveils new members
AMSTERDAM – The Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), a non-profit established to improve workplace conditions within apparel supply chains, has welcomed five new brands to its network. Dutch menswear brand Atelier Munro, German firms Olymp and Hakro, British… -
Friday, 12 February 2021Dismissed workers win reemployment campaign
KARNATAKA – After an eight-month campaign, workers’ rights NGO IndustriALL has announced that the 1,257 workers that were controversially fired by Indian garment supplier Gokaldas Exports amidst the pandemic will be reemployed at one of the group’s… -
Friday, 22 January 2021Cambodian businesses forced to issue seniority pay
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Ith Sam Heng has issued a notice which will require all employers in the country, including those in the garment sector, to pay former and current employees the seniority pay to… -
Thursday, 21 January 2021NGO proposals urge brands to pay a living wage
GLOBAL – A coalition of workers’ rights NGOs have launched a website that lays out proposals for wage reform in the global garment industry. Backed by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) and Workers-driven Social… -
Monday, 04 January 2021Karnataka government fails to protect workers, study finds
KARNATAKA – The author of a case study which has highlighted the unfair dismissal of more than 1,000 workers at a garment factory in Karnataka says the Indian state’s government failed to protect site staff, many of whom will now go without adequate… -
Friday, 18 December 2020Bangladesh’s female workforce diminishing, data shows
DHAKA – New data collected by the team behind BRAC University’s Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB) platform shows that the proportion of women in the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector is diminishing, reportedly due to a rise in automation, wage… -
Tuesday, 15 December 2020Survey: COVID-19 exacerbating worker plights
COPENHAGEN – Business consultancy BSR, which is behind the women’s empowerment initiative HERproject, has surveyed more than 1,000 garment workers across Bangladesh, China, India, Vietnam and Egypt to determine the extent to which COVID-19 has… -
Friday, 11 December 2020
Company ‘dashboards’ highlight lack of transparency
LONDON – The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) has created ‘dashboard’ pages for 275 of the world’s largest fashion and textile companies, detailing their financial information, alleged rights violations and civil society benchmark… -
Thursday, 10 December 2020NGOs launch fresh workers’ rights proposals in California
CALIFORNIA – Workers’ rights organisations and advocates have launched a new campaign to pass the Garment Workers Protection Act (SB 62) next year, after the proposals failed to come up for a vote before this year’s deadline in September. The bill,… -
Tuesday, 08 December 2020Survey unmasks COVID-19 plight of Brazilian workers
SÃO PAOLO – A widespread lack of demand in the Brazilian textile sector due to the global pandemic has brought about a sharp drop in income for migrant workers – mostly women from Bolivia – as prices for sewn-goods have plummeted. A new survey from… -
Friday, 04 December 2020GoodWeave report highlights hardships in India, Nepal
WASHINGTON – Child and workers' rights non-profit GoodWeave International has surveyed carpet, home textile and garment workers in both India and Nepal on the extent to which COVID-19 has impacted their livelihoods, and warns that “extreme… -
Wednesday, 02 December 2020New initiative mentors modern slavery survivors
LONDON – A new initiative which looks to empower survivors of modern slavery to become leaders of anti-slavery organisations in their communities has gained the backing of the Laudes Foundation, amongst others. This new venture has been established… -
Tuesday, 01 December 2020Switzerland rejects human rights legislation
BERN – Swiss voters have rejected a proposal that would have held companies accountable for human rights or environmental violations within their global supply chains. Despite the Responsible Business Initiative (RBI) garnering 50.7 per cent of… -
Monday, 30 November 2020Worldwide protests hold Amazon to account
GLOBAL – Trade unions, human rights organisations and environmental campaign groups around the world staged demonstrations over the Black Friday weekend criticising e-commerce giant Amazon’s treatment of its suppliers and staff during the pandemic.… -
Monday, 16 November 2020Adidas tops latest Human Rights Benchmark
LONDON – The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) has today published its fourth Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB), assessing 230 of the world’s most influential companies on their human rights disclosure. With scores determined in-line with each… -
Friday, 25 September 2020Inquiry lambasts Boohoo for Leicester ‘failings’
LEICESTER – An independent inquiry into fast fashion retailer Boohoo’s working practises in Leicester has found significant ‘failings’ in its supply chain following claims in July that garment workers were being paid below the minimum wage and… -
Tuesday, 22 September 2020Gender data in industry "woefully insufficient"
AMSTERDAM – The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) has today published a Gender Baseline Report, having assessed the commitments and strategies of 36 leading apparel brands around the world. The report looks at the gender data disclosure of each… -
Friday, 18 September 2020Coats Digital solution calculates fair wages for workers
UXBRIDGE – Coats Digital, the technological arm of industrial thread manufacturer Coats, has updated its GSDCost software – which helps fashion brands and manufacturers streamline the logistics of their operations – to introduce a new globalised… -
Tuesday, 15 September 2020Laudes Foundation pushes for regenerative economy
LONDON – The Laudes Foundation has forged partnerships with both the Council on Economic Policies (CEP) and the New Economics Foundation (NEF), and will free up €5.5 million to accelerate a push towards a more inclusive and regenerative economy.… -
Friday, 04 September 2020Slavery risks 'surge in manufacturing hubs'
BATH – The risk of modern slavery in garment and textile manufacturing hubs in Asia has risen dramatically on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to consultants Verisk Maplecroft. In its 2020 Human Rights Outlook report, the global risk… -
Tuesday, 01 September 2020ITUC urges Cambodia to release jailed activists
PHNOM PENH – The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has weighed in on the controversial arrests of labour rights activists in Cambodia, and has urged the country’s government to drop all charges against detainees, including those… -
Tuesday, 25 August 2020Indonesian organisations align with ILO action plan
JAKARTA – A number of textile workers’ unions and employer associations in Indonesia have issued their joint commitment to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Action in the Global Garment Industry strategy. The plan, first outlined in… -
Friday, 21 August 2020Workers’ union drops charges against Everlane
SAN FRANCISCO - A workers’ union of former Everlane employees says it is dropping charges of union busting held against the brand, as it’s “hard to prove” that the company targeted this group of remote workers when it made cut-backs in March. Since… -
Wednesday, 19 August 2020Coalition calls for campaigners’ release
PHNOM PENH – As many as 79 trade unions, workers’ rights campaign groups and federations in Cambodia have backed a letter addressed to the country’s authorities, strongly condemning the use of violence against peaceful protestors and calling for all… -
Monday, 17 August 2020Brands undercutting suppliers post-COVID, report finds
ARLINGTON – A new report published by the Better Buying Institute (BBI) has concluded that fashion brands and retailers are offloading their financial hardships onto suppliers, with a survey of 147 factories across 30 countries highlighting that… -
Friday, 14 August 2020Kontoor and HERproject address workforce health
GREENSBORO – Apparel conglomerate Kontoor Brands, whose brands include Wrangler and Lee, has partnered with BSR’s HERproject to support female workers within its supply chain. It’s HERhealth, a branch of the project, which is of particular… -
Monday, 10 August 2020Cambodian authorities handed union recommendations
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s National Trade Unions Coalition (NTUC) has written to the country’s Ministry of Labour with recommendations on how best to address the ongoing plight of workers amidst the pandemic. NTUC council chamber leader Ath Thorn says… -
Monday, 10 August 2020Report: pandemic cost garment workers 'billions'
AMSTERDAM - Garment workers in supply chain countries across South and Southeast Asia received 38 per cent less pay than their regular pay on average at the height of the pandemic, according to a new report. The Clean Clothes Campaign said it means… -
Friday, 07 August 2020Workers’ rights complaint at C&A supplier taken forward
YANGON – The Complaints and Disputes Committee of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textiles has informed workers’ rights organisations SOMO, Action Labor Rights (ALR) and Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) that it will take up its complaint… -
Friday, 07 August 2020Convention on child labour gains universal ratification
GENEVA – An International Labour Convention comdemning the “worst forms of child labour” has become the first in history to be ratified by all member States, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The convention is the first of… -
Wednesday, 05 August 2020Report: brands urged to address systemic union busting
LONDON – A new report published today by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) suggests that trade union members in apparel manufacturing supply chains have been unfairly targeted for dismissal over recent months, with unscrupulous… -
Monday, 03 August 2020New arrest as Cambodian PM quashes freedom of speech
PHNOM PENH – A prominent Cambodian labour leader has been arrested for speaking out on “politically sensitive matters” relating to the government’s handling of its borders with Vietnam. Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions,… -
Friday, 31 July 2020Private apparel firms urged to open up on ethics
LONDON – The newly relaunched Good Work Investor Coalition (GWC), the worker rights arm of responsible investment charity, ShareAction, says it’s exploring ways to influence privately owned companies to engage more openly in tackling poor employment… -
Wednesday, 29 July 2020UN intervenes on Cambodia intimidation tactics
PHNOM PENH – The United Nations has sent a letter to Cambodia’s government over allegations it attempted to intimidate a representative of workers’ rights group Licadho by threatening jail time. Licadho’s monitoring manager Am Sam Ath was quoted on… -
Tuesday, 28 July 2020
Under-fire LA factory tipped to become “gold standard”
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Apparel, the factory which was closed in June after more than 350 of its staff caught COVID-19 leading to the deaths of four, has reopened and been tipped to become a gold standard for garment manufacture amidst the… -
Monday, 27 July 2020
Investors to influence textile supply chain reform
LONDON – Responsible investment charity ShareAction (SA) says the COVID-19 crisis could trigger significant growth of insecure work practices in sectors such as textiles and apparel and is calling for investors and companies to ‘deeply consider’ how… -
Thursday, 23 July 2020Remake calls for accountability on LA factory infections
LOS ANGELES – Ayesha Barenblat, the founder of workers’ rights organisation Remake, has called on Dov Charney – owner of Los Angeles Apparel, the factory which registered more than 300 COVID-19 cases and four deaths over recent months – to take… -
Wednesday, 22 July 2020US sanctions suppliers over Xinjiang links
WASHINGTON DC - The US has announced sanctions against 11 Chinese companies - said to include current and former suppliers to Patagonia, Nike, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss and Muji - over alleged links with human rights violations against… -
Tuesday, 21 July 2020Cradle to Cradle standard open for further review
OAKLAND – The Cradle to Cradle Innovation Institute has opened up the latest draft of its product standard version 4 for public review, having similarly turned to the industry for feedback in August of last year. Having incorporated changes off the… -
Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Brands urged to support supply chains
NEW DELHI – A group of workers’ rights organisations have called on fashion brands and retailers to establish to make a Supply-chain Relief Contribution (SRC), through which two per cent of their total sourcing budget from the preceding 12 months… -
Friday, 17 July 2020Uyghur workers videoed on TikTok platform
XINJIANG – Footage which has emerged on the social media platform TikTok has raised fresh fears over the sufferment of China’ Uyghur Muslim population, as it shows what are believed to be forced labourers in transit. In March, research from the… -
Friday, 10 July 2020Garment workers 'gassed' during insect spraying
JORDAN - More than 140 women garment workers had to be taken to hospital after they inhaled toxic gases during spraying to control insects and rodents at their factory. Doctors said it appeared the concentration of the chemicals used for the… -
Thursday, 09 July 2020
GMAC appeals for ILO backing of EBA postponement
PHNOM PENH – The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) has urged the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and those supporting its Call to Action to throw down their support for postponing Cambodia’s partial suspension from the…
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