Social Compliance & CSR News
-
Friday, 22 May 2020Myanmar to resume wage discussions post-pandemic
YANGON – Myanmar’s National Committee for the Minimum Wage (NCMW) says the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn developments to introduce a new national minimum wage to a standstill, but says discussions could get underway once more by the end of the month.… -
Thursday, 21 May 2020Brands accused of 'colonialism' over COVID-19
SAN FRANCISCO - Workers’ rights organisation Remake, which launched the PayUp campaign, to pressure brands and retailers to pay in full for orders during the coronavirus pandemic, has accused those who refuse of "colonialist" behaviour. Some 15… -
Thursday, 21 May 2020Protests rife throughout Dhaka
DHAKA – Garment workers across Bangladesh’s capital of Dhaka have protested in their droves over pay, Eid bonuses and factory closures. Across Ashulia, Dhamrai, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram, factory staff from more than 10 sites have staged… -
Thursday, 21 May 2020IndustriALL campaign raises awareness of ILO conventions
GENEVA – The southeast Asian office of workers’ rights organisation IndustriALL has partnered with affiliates in Cambodia to create an online campaign which raises awareness of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Convention 190 on violence… -
Wednesday, 20 May 2020Factories threatened with closure over payments
DHAKA – The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has advised the Ministry of Labour to close 46 factories across Bangladesh which represent the remaining one per cent of sites yet to pay workers their wages for March.… -
Wednesday, 13 May 2020Pakistani workers protest over jobs and pay
KARACHI - Thousands of factory workers have staged a major protest in Pakistan over the non-payment of wages and widespread job losses which they say have left more than 10 million people in poverty. The National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan… -
Wednesday, 13 May 2020Dispute over COVID-19 deaths in Bangladesh
DHAKA - Controversy is raging over the number of garment workers to be infected with COVID-19 in Bangladesh where more than 1,750 factories have now reopened despite an ongoing government lockdown. The Industrial Police, which is responsible for… -
Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Bangladesh welcomes worker wellbeing service
DHAKA – The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has teamed up with digital wellbeing assistant Maya, to provide a platform for garment workers to seek both general and mental health support amidst the pandemic. Maya,… -
Tuesday, 05 May 2020Falsified data hampers supply chain policing
ITHACA - Apparel brands’ efforts to police their supply chains aren’t working because much of the information given to the auditors who inspect factories is inaccurate, according to researchers. A report, by Cornell University’s School of Industrial… -
Friday, 01 May 2020
Brands 'responsible for garment worker safety'
DHAKA - A leading Bangladeshi trade unionist, who began her working life in a clothing factory at the age of 11, says brands and factory owners should be held responsible if garment workers returning to work die of coronavirus. More than 1,100… -
Wednesday, 29 April 2020Cambodian minister: workers safe among colleagues
PHNOM PENH – A Cambodian minister has looked to play down garment worker concerns that they’re susceptible to contracting the coronavirus upon returning to work, insisting “there are no outsiders”, and that the people they will likely come into the… -
Monday, 27 April 2020Canadian NGO donates to lift Bangladeshi workers
TORONTO – The Steelworkers Humanity Fund, a Canadian organisation which promotes human rights through relief projects, has donated US$50,000 to the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, as it looks to alleviate some of the financial pressures… -
Wednesday, 22 April 2020Apparel Impact Institute hit by pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO - The Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), which works with brands and factories to reduce the environmental and social impact of the fashion and textiles industry, says the COVID-19 crisis will put back its work by at least six months. The… -
Tuesday, 21 April 2020Textile factory boss jailed over COVID-19
SAN JUAN - A textile factory supervisor has been handed an eight month prison sentence in Argentina for making his employees work during a lockdown to limit the spread of coronavirus. Jorge Zukerman, supervisor at a factory owned by a company called… -
Monday, 20 April 2020Fashion Nova questioned over consumer cash giveaway
LOS ANGELES – Workers’ rights organisation Remake has questioned the sentiment behind apparel brand Fashion Nova’s US$1 million giveaway, as it’s revealed that garment workers in its supply chain are comparatively paid poverty-line wages and in some… -
Thursday, 16 April 2020
30 workers injured in Cambodia crash
TAKEO – Around 30 garment workers have been injured in Cambodia, after the truck they were travelling in flipped over at high speed due to a steering wheel malfunction. This comes less than two months after Cambodia’s Council of Ministers vowed to… -
Wednesday, 15 April 2020Migrant workers in Japan face exploitation
TOKYO - Migrant garment workers on Japan’s state-supported Technical Internship Training Programme (TITP) face widespread labour violations including poverty pay, debt bondage and enforced overtime, according to a new report. The study, entitled… -
Wednesday, 15 April 2020Garment workers protest over unpaid wages
DHAKA - Thousands of garment workers have been taking to the streets in Bangladesh to protest that they still have not been paid their wages for last month. Police reported protests in at least four different districts of the capital city, Dhaka,… -
Tuesday, 14 April 2020CCC calls for robust social security
GLOBAL – Organisations behind the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) are rallying fashion brands, manufacturers and governments the world over to establish better social security measures for garment workers in developing nations as they feel the squeeze… -
Tuesday, 07 April 2020ILO provides update on Covid-19 industry impact
GENEVA – In an updated assessment of the social implications of the coronavirus, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has described the pandemic as “the worst global crisis since World War 2” and estimates that its continuing effects could… -
Tuesday, 07 April 2020Factory fire report paints grim safety picture
GLOBAL - A new report on fires in the fashion industry's global supply chains paints a bleak picture of factory safety by revealing a total of 66 reported blazes during the month of March - an average of more than two a day. The report, entitled… -
Wednesday, 18 March 2020Brands urged to protect garment workers from virus
AMSTERDAM - The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) is urging brands to urgently take steps to minimise the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the health and livelihoods of garment workers. The non-profit, which campaigns to improve workers' rights and… -
Wednesday, 11 March 2020Thailand 'failing to protect garment workers'
BANGKOK - Thailand should be downgraded by the US State Department in its annual report on human trafficking because of its lack of progress in protecting garment and fishing workers, according to a coalition of human rights groups. The South-East… -
Wednesday, 11 March 2020Myanmar: factory inspections to combat bogus closures?
YANGON – The Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar has called on the government to establish a team to monitor factories before they close, as it’s suspected some sites are using the excuse of material shortages to temporarily shutdown and evade… -
Tuesday, 10 March 2020Brands blamed for abuse of garment workers
DHAKA - Brands are partly to blame for the prevalence of gender-based violence against women garment workers in Bangladesh, according to a new report. The study, entitled Break the Silence, Stop the Violence, was carried out by the Bangladesh Centre… -
Monday, 02 March 2020Forced labour spreads in China
XINJIANG – A new report estimates that 80,000 Uyghur workers, suspected to be victims of forced labour, have been transferred from the Xinjiang region of China to work in brand supply chains throughout the country over the past three years, as part… -
Friday, 28 February 2020Cambodia mitigates worker transport risk
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s Council of Ministers will look to address the growing number of garment workers injured and killed in traffic accidents, as last month’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) report unearthed how upwards of 50 people will… -
Tuesday, 25 February 2020Unplanned factory closure linked to material shortages
YANGON – A Chinese-owned bag factory in Myanmar employing more than 600 workers has shutdown due to a lack of raw materials but failed to warn staff which are now protesting the matter. Countries across southeast Asia are feeling the effects of raw… -
Monday, 24 February 2020Myanmar braced for EU human rights probe
YANGON – Authorities in Myanmar expect the European Union (EU) to kickstart a monitoring mission in the country over the coming months, off the back of its investigation in Cambodia which unearthed extensive human rights violations. Two weeks ago,… -
Monday, 24 February 2020Migrant workers 'treated as slaves' in Mauritius
MAURITIUS - Bangladeshi migrant workers employed at some apparel factories in the 'paradise' island nation of Mauritius are being forced to work as modern-day slaves, according to migrant rights activists. The Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP)… -
Monday, 17 February 2020Campaigners call for action after fatal fire
AHMEDABAD - Workers' rights campaigners and trade union leaders are calling for urgent action to avoid a repetition of the recent denim factory fire in the Indian city of Ahmedabad in which at least seven workers lost their lives. The Clean Clothes… -
Thursday, 13 February 2020Canopy scathing on deforestation reporting
LONDON - Fashion brands including Versace, Michael Kors, and Bestseller, along with retailers such as TK Maxx and Amazon, are among those failing to address deforestation in agricultural supply chains and are complicit in the destruction of tropical… -
Wednesday, 12 February 2020More road blocks in Dhaka as workers protest
TEJGAON – Garment workers at a factory in Bangladesh have blocked a road in the country’s capital, Dhaka, in protest over its impromptu closure. Traffic is said to have come to a standstill earlier today at both ends of an intersection in the area… -
Monday, 10 February 2020Bangladeshi workers call for anti-harassment committees
ASHULIA – Bangladeshi garment workers have once again demonstrated at the doors of a press club in the suburban area of Ashulia, demanding anti-harassment committees be established at all apparel sites as the culprits of an alleged rape reported… -
Monday, 10 February 2020Myanmar manufacturers counter worker wage demands
YANGON – Garment manufacturers in Myanmar have completed factory surveys of their own as they look to stifle worker attempts to secure a substantial increase to the country’s minimum wage which is reviewed on a biennial basis. At the beginning of… -
Monday, 10 February 2020Fire destroys Cambodian garment factories
PHNOM PENH – Two garment manufacturing sites in Cambodia have been ravaged by fires over the weekend, but it’s not yet known what started the blaze. On Saturday evening at approximately 17:30pm local time, the factory of 8 Star Sportswear Ltd caught… -
Friday, 07 February 2020CCC calls for “reality check” after European Parliament meeting
BRUSSELS – The European Parliament forum, which discussed progress in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector on Tuesday, should have been a platform for workers to share their experiences, believes the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). Employers,… -
Friday, 07 February 2020Cambodian authorities reinstate Better Factories project
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s Labour Ministry has extended the country’s Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) project for another three-year term. Until 2022, the BFC’s Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) – which comprises representatives of the government, the… -
Wednesday, 05 February 2020Forced labour falls in Uzbek cotton fields
TASHKENT – The systematic and systemic use of forced and child labour in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry has fallen dramatically, according to a new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The report, compiled by the ILO for the World… -
Wednesday, 05 February 2020Call to widen Bangladesh industry debate
BRUSSELS - The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), which works to improve conditions for workers in the global garment industry, has criticised a decision not to invite workers to speak at a European Union debate on the Bangladesh apparel industry.… -
Monday, 03 February 2020Discrimination rife in Brazil’s textile industry, report finds
SÃO PAULO – Findings from a new report have placed a spotlight on the extent of harassment, sexual abuse and gender-based discrimination within Brazil’s garment manufacturing industry. Funded by the Laudes Foundation (formerly C&A Foundation), with… -
Thursday, 30 January 2020Brands accused of jeopardising jobs in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH - Garment manufacturers in Cambodia (GMAC) have accused brands and labour rights groups of jeopardising jobs by publishing an open letter criticising the country's record on workers' rights. The Garment Manufacturers Association in… -
Wednesday, 29 January 2020Bangladesh round table explores sexual abuse in RMG sector
DHAKA – A round table convening representatives from various industry NGOs has shed new light on the issue of sexual harassment in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector. Organised by Dkaha-based newspaper Prothom Alo, with support from native… -
Wednesday, 29 January 2020Workers protest union leader sackings, demand intervention
YANGON – Garment workers from three firms in Yangon, Myanmar, have marched to the City Hall today in protest over poor working conditions, low wages and their employers’ efforts to suppress their right to demonstrate. According to local reports,… -
Monday, 27 January 2020Poor ventilation causes nearly 100 to faint in Cambodian factory
TAKÉO – Garment workers at a factory in Cambodia were given time off at the end of last week after almost 100 of them fainted in the space of two days due to poor ventilation and oxygen deprivation. Last Tuesday, reports emerged that 40 employees at… -
Monday, 27 January 2020Brands write to Cambodia PM on workers' rights
PHNOM PENH - Global brands, including Adidas and Levi Strauss, have written to Cambodian Prime Minster Hun Sen saying the country’s record on workers' rights could cost it vital trade privileges and deliver a huge blow to the country's garment… -
Thursday, 23 January 2020MP raises concerns over UK worker exploitation
LONDON – A British MP has raised fresh concerns over the state of Leicester city’s garment manufacturing industry, where some workers are paid as low as £3. Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, has told the Guardian that it would be a… -
Wednesday, 22 January 2020Lindex launches clean water project in Myanmar
YANGON - Swedish fashion chain Lindex has teamed up with WaterAid to launch a joint project to increase the access to clean drinking water and sanitation for women and girls in the textile industry in Myanmar. During the two-year project, clean… -
Tuesday, 21 January 2020Myanmar manufacturers oppose potential wage hike
YANGON – Garment manufacturers will conduct surveys of their own to determine whether workers are justified in calling for a substantial raise to the national living wage, according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association. Two weeks ago it… -
Tuesday, 21 January 2020EC contest focuses on 'sustainable' fashion
BRUSSELS - The European Commission (EC) is offering €150,000 (US$168,000) in prize money for innovations in sustainable fashion in the 2020 European Social Innovation Competition. Under the theme 'Reimagine Fashion: Changing behaviours for…
BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE
OTHER PUBLICATIONS FROM MCL NEWS & MEDIA
©
2008 - 2020
MCL News & Media