Social Compliance & CSR News
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Friday, 15 February 2019Prada CSR programme to promote diversity
MILAN – Luxury fashion brand Prada has announced the creation of a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council in order to change the culture of both its operations and the wider fashion industry. The Council has the mission statement to “elevate… -
Thursday, 14 February 2019Money talks in Bangladesh Accord debate
NEW YORK – A group of 190 investors with global assets of over estimated US$3 trillion has released a public statement and written directly to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister calling for an extension of the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in… -
Thursday, 14 February 2019Odlo awarded Leader status by Fair Wear Foundation
HÜNENBERG - Functional sportswear company Odlo has been awarded Leader status from the Fair Wear Foundation for the fourth consecutive year. -
Wednesday, 13 February 2019Survey finds consumers expect CSR from brands
WASHINGTON D.C. - Consumers expect more responsibility, action and accountability from businesses and tend to shop at companies that share their values, according to a survey carried out by market insight company Clutch. The small-scale survey… -
Wednesday, 13 February 2019Apparel sector implored to combat sexism and gender violence
NEW YORK – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the global apparel industry to support a new ILO convention on violence and harassment at work and to do more when it comes to tackling the discrimination and violence faced by many female garment… -
Tuesday, 12 February 2019US garment workers take to the picket line
CHICAGO – Workers at two suit making factories in the US states of Illinois and Ohio have gone on strike over unfair labour practices exhibited by their respective employers; a move which offers up a reminder that such struggles are in no way… -
Tuesday, 12 February 2019Campaigners still seek full remedy for Indonesian workers
TANGERANG – Six years after their alleged illegal dismissal from employment, Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has hit out at the settlement former workers of PT Panarub Industry (PDK) were offered – calling the reimbursement offered “a pittance.” The… -
Monday, 11 February 2019Canadian union stands with Bangladeshi garment workers
OTTAWA – Canada's United Steelworkers union has written to the Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa to highlight its concern regarding the situation currently facing many garment workers during the ongoing wage dispute in the South Asian nation. In… -
Friday, 08 February 2019Is the Bangladesh Accord nearing its final destination?
DHAKA – The journey towards a safe garment sector has been a long and tumultuous one for the workers of Bangladesh. Delay after delay has left garment workers across the nation in a state of flux – and desperate to avoid the possibility of a return… -
Wednesday, 06 February 2019Bangladesh garment workers laid off after wage protests
DHAKA - More than 7,500 garment workers from 27 factories which supply brands such as H&M and Next have allegedly been laid off in Bangladesh after they joined wage protests. -
Friday, 01 February 2019Levi’s and Harvard launch blockchain worker survey
SAN FRANCISCO - On the back of a software development consultancy being awarded a two-year grant by the U.S. State Department to develop a blockchain platform, Levi Strauss and Harvard University’s Sustainability and Health Initiative for… -
Tuesday, 29 January 2019Unethical UK fashion “not just an issue for Leicester”
LEICESTER – The Mayor of Leicester has come out in defence of the UK city which he describes as having a “long and proud history of textile manufacturing” following criticism over some of its factories paying illegally low wages. After the UK… -
Monday, 28 January 2019Worker rights campaigners begin ‘Week of Solidarity’
AMSTERDAM – Clean Clothes Campaign has begun a ‘Week of Solidarity’ aimed at showing support for the Bangladeshi garment workforce currently caught in the limbo of the ongoing Bangladesh Accord negotiations, following a series of farcical delays… -
Thursday, 24 January 2019Pakistan garment factories exposé uncovers rights violations
NEW YORK – A new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report has highlighted the dangerous and precarious employment experienced by some garment workers in Pakistan as a direct result of the nation’s government failing to enforce laws designed to combat rights… -
Monday, 21 January 2019Charity T-shirt workers “earn 35p an hour”
GAZIPUR – T-shirts produced in partnership with 90s pop group Spice Girls to raise funds for UK charity Comic Relief are allegedly being made by staff in Bangladesh earning the equivalent of 35p an hour and working 16 hour shifts. The garments which… -
Thursday, 17 January 2019Neonyt hosts UN in European trade show first
BERLIN - The debut of Messe Frankfurt’s Neonyt show during Berlin Fashion Week has seen a wide variety of firsts, with none being more significant than the event hosting the UN’s inaugural European trade show exhibiton. Neonyt - which is the new… -
Monday, 14 January 2019ILO praises Bangladesh minimum wage progress
DHAKA – The Bangladesh office of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said it is encouraged by the government’s decision to revisit the minimum wages for ready-made garment workers through an agreement made by a special tripartite… -
Thursday, 10 January 2019French brands urge Bangladesh PM to extend Accord
PARIS – On behalf of a group of French brands and retailers, including luxury department store chain Galeries Lafayette Group, ICS (Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability) has written to the Bangladesh Prime Minister to make the case for… -
Wednesday, 09 January 2019ETI inquiry submission challenges Boohoo “inaccuracies”
LONDON – The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) has made a submission to the UK Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry into the fashion industry, challenging some of the “inaccuracies” it claims were included in the evidence provided to the committee… -
Friday, 04 January 2019NGO calls time on H&M living wage pledge
AMSTERDAM – Clean Clothes Campaign has described H&M as a “full-fledged promise breaker” for allegedly failing to fulfil its commitment to implement a living wage for 850,000 workers in its supply chain by the end of 2018. As recently as September… -
Thursday, 03 January 2019
Study cites Bangladesh progress amid political uncertainty
DHAKA – Following on from December which saw yet another delay in proceedings regarding the future of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, new research has pointed to a substantial drop in the number of workplace fatalities within… -
Thursday, 20 December 2018SLCP set to scale up operations in 2019
AMSTERDAM – The Social & Labor Convergence Project (SLCP), having started out with 33 signatories in October 2015, now has the support of 190 organisations and is approaching a very significant period of its development in 2019. One of the key… -
Wednesday, 19 December 2018US brand allegedly sourcing from Chinese internment camps
HOTAN – Reports coming out of China allege that US sportswear retailer Badger Sportswear is sourcing garments from internment camps in the nation’s Xinjiang region. The reports claim that these facilities, where up to “one million Muslims are… -
Tuesday, 18 December 2018Bangladesh Accord suffers another farcical delay
DHAKA – Following yesterday’s story of a 24-hour postponement on the decision regarding the future of the Bangladesh Accord, the situation has taken yet another farcical turn with a verdict now pushed back until 21st January 2019. While some may… -
Monday, 17 December 2018Bangladesh Accord decision delayed yet again
DHAKA – Following several delays to the hugely important decision on whether or not the Bangladesh Accord will receive an extension, a final verdict regarding the future of the regulatory body’s future is now expected tomorrow. The much-debated… -
Wednesday, 12 December 2018Bangladesh Alliance publishes final annual report
DHAKA – The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety has released its fifth and final annual report as it nears the end of its time in the nation’s garment sector. The Alliance’s operations, including its training programme and helpline, will now be… -
Tuesday, 11 December 2018H&M living wage summit, ETI rates progress
PHNOM PENH – The approach taken by H&M group in its Fair Living Wage Strategy has been described as “bold and unprecedented” by the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI), with the caveat that there remain major lessons to be learned regarding… -
Tuesday, 04 December 2018Online map highlights modern slavery risk areas
LONDON – A new online platform created by Transparency in Supply Chains (TISC) will map all calls made to Britain's anti-slavery helpline as part of its ongoing efforts to raise public awareness of the problem and to better and more precisely direct… -
Tuesday, 04 December 2018Union seeks meaningful CSR progress through inquiry
LONDON – IndustriALL Global Union, which represents garment workers around the world, has stated that apparel companies in the UK “need to get much more serious about reforming working conditions in their global supply chains.” In its submission to… -
Tuesday, 27 November 2018Further NGO support for Bangladesh Accord
AMSTERDAM – As part of a continued and coordinated effort to breath new life into the Bangladesh Accord on worker safety, several leading European NGOs involved in the ethical fashion sector have together appealed to Bangladesh government to allow… -
Monday, 26 November 2018Bangladesh Accord receives support in vital period
DHAKA – While its future remains the subject of much speculation, the Bangladesh Accord and its prospects for continuing work into next year seem to, in typically unpredictable style, have been handed a boost. Recent developments have strengthened… -
Friday, 23 November 2018NGO targets H&M in Black Friday protest
LONDON – UK non-profit Labour Behind the Label has held a demonstration at H&M’s Oxford Circus store to protest against the disparity between been the increased spending for Black Friday and the reimbursement of workers in fashion supply chains.… -
Thursday, 22 November 2018ETI supports brands in modern slavery reporting
LONDON – The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) has published a framework to help brands in producing better modern slavery reports, with the overall standard of UK reporting being described as “very poor.” ASOS and Rowlinson Knitwear, both of which… -
Monday, 19 November 2018Timberland supports urban green space project
BERLIN – Timberland has teamed up with Belgian non-profit King Baudouin Foundation to facilitate the creation, maintenance and improvement of greenspaces in five European cities as part of a five-year-long grant-funded programme. This year will see… -
Tuesday, 13 November 2018
Big brands sign UK modern slavery protocol
LONDON – Several leading UK fashion brands and retailers have joined forces with enforcement bodies to agree a deal aimed at eradicating modern slavery from the UK fashion and textile industries. John Lewis, M&S and New Look are among the signatory… -
Friday, 09 November 2018
UK inquiry confronts fashion brands’ buying practices
LONDON – Mary Creagh MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) inquiry into fast fashion, has written directly to ASOS, Boohoo & PrettyLittleThing, Missguided and Amazon UK, demanding a response to questions raised over buying practices… -
Friday, 09 November 2018NGO claims Uniqlo Indonesian worker progress
AMSTERDAM – Workers’ rights organisation Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has claimed that, courtesy of pressure from itself and fellow campaign groups, Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo has agreed to meet with workers’ representatives to discuss the… -
Friday, 02 November 2018Sri Lanka chosen as SLCP launch point
COLOMBO – Sri Lankan textile association JAAF has announced that the Social and Labour Convergence Project (SLCP) has chosen the South Asian country for its global launch. The SLCP claims that it has the potential to revolutionise the way customers… -
Wednesday, 31 October 2018Suppliers under mounting pressure from buyers, report finds
DELAWARE – Better Buying has released its second report to explore the textile industry’s buying practices, highlighting a growing trend of suppliers experiencing heightened financial pressure from buyers. The report has found significant regional… -
Monday, 29 October 2018Fair Wear Foundation adds Katherine Hamnett
AMSTERDAM - Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), the non-profit established to improve the workplace conditions of garment workers, has announced that Katherine Hamnett London is the latest brand to join its ranks. -
Friday, 19 October 2018Business and investors ignoring human rights, experts claim
NEW YORK – Companies and investors the world over are turning a blind eye to human rights violations, with governments also failing in their role to enforce protective legislature, a group of independent UN experts says. Rights violations in the… -
Thursday, 18 October 2018Cambodia wary of imminent EU trade sanctions
PHNOM PENH – Unions representing the Cambodian garment sector have expressed concern regarding an alleged scaling up of trade pressure from the European Union. Several large-scale manufacturers in the country have, however, sought to allay these… -
Thursday, 18 October 2018Event series explores fashion’s biodiversity footprint
LONDON – A collaboration between Synchronicity Earth, The Environmental Funders Network, Canopy and The Sustainable Angle has launched a series of events to explore the impact of fashion on ecosystems around the globe and educate consumers on how… -
Wednesday, 17 October 2018A pivotal moment for garment workers’ rights?
GENEVA – The United Nations Human Rights Council will, this week, negotiate a landmark treaty which aims to ensure transnational corporations (TNC) are held accountable for human rights violations which take place within their businesses and supply… -
Tuesday, 16 October 2018Myanmar garment worker violence, EU ponders sanctions
YANGON – Protesting garment workers in Myanmar are believed to have been injured outside a factory which, it is claimed, has supplied German retailer Lidl and UK fashion brand Joules, as tensions continue to flare in the beleaguered nation.… -
Friday, 12 October 2018
Bangladesh Accord transition set to commence
DHAKA – The Bangladesh Accord, which has held responsibility for safety activities in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) factories since its 2013 inception, now has a date for the handover of its jurisdiction. Following a meeting of the… -
Friday, 12 October 2018Outdoor initiative grants support for schoolchildren
STAMFORD – Hundreds of school children in the UK have been able to partake in outdoor activities for the first time courtesy of a grant from an initiative founded by the EOG (European Outdoor Group). The non-profit It’s Great Out There Coalition,… -
Wednesday, 03 October 2018Trade unions clash over ASOS worker representation
BARNSLEY – Following the conclusion of TUC (Trades Union Congress) proceedings, UK-based union GMB says it will advance its efforts to support ASOS workers amid a dispute with fellow union, Community. GMB claims the dispute stems from a decision by… -
Monday, 01 October 2018Twelve major brands sign Turkmen Cotton Pledge
OAKLAND – To coincide with the Turkmen president’s attendance at the UN General Assembly – the first time since 2015 – apparel companies and global investors have expressed disapproval regarding the nation’s use of state-sponsored forced labour in… -
Tuesday, 25 September 2018Clean Clothes Campaign rebukes H&M wage claims
AMSTERDAM – New research from Clean Clothes Campaign states that many garment workers manufacturing clothes for H&M live below the poverty line – despite the fashion giant’s promise of a living wage by 2018.
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