Social Compliance & CSR News
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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… -
Monday, 20 January 2020Inditex supports job and recycling schemes
ARTEIXO - Fashion giant Inditex is donating another €8.5 million (US$9.4 million) to the Caritas charity to support social employment and circular economy initiatives in Spain. The company, which owns Zara and is the world's biggest fashion group,… -
Friday, 17 January 2020Garment workers’ organisation calls for greater protection
ASHULIA – Garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, have today staged a demonstration demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits of an alleged rape in Ashulia. Around 50 members of the workers’ welfare organisation, Bangladesh Garment Sramik… -
Thursday, 16 January 2020Agreement reached to transition Accord
DHAKA – The BGMEA and the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh have officially signed a transition agreement to finalise the creation of the new RMG sustainability council (RSC), which aims to oversee the safety of garment workers in the… -
Thursday, 16 January 2020Dhaka gridlocked as garment workers protest
DHAKA – Bangladeshi garment workers have blockaded a road in the country’s capital of Dhaka in protest over unpaid wages, in an incident that mirrors a strike taken just last month. Traffic in Shyamoli allegedly ground to a halt for more than two… -
Wednesday, 15 January 2020Cambodia’s workforce endangering lives by hitching rides
PHNOM PENH – Findings from a new National Social Security Fund (NSSF) report has highlighted the danger garment factory workers subject themselves to when in transit to their jobs. According to the new NSSF report, 50 workers were killed and almost… -
Wednesday, 15 January 2020Bangladeshi workers still facing repression over wage protests
DHAKA – Two years on since tens of thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers took to the streets in protest over poverty wages, many remain out of work and facing criminal charges from disgruntled factory bosses. In January 2019, workers ended… -
Monday, 13 January 2020Cambodia pays out US$7.6m to workers on maternity leave
PHNOM PENH – Garment workers in Cambodia were last year afforded almost 20 per cent more money than the year prior when on maternity leave, the country’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has announced. In 2019, female workers were paid an… -
Friday, 10 January 2020Crackdown on child labour in Mexico
PUEBLA - A new initiative has been launched by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to crackdown on the use of child labour in the Mexican fashion industry. The 14-month programme aims to prevent, detect and assist victims of child… -
Thursday, 09 January 2020Action taken against 'unsafe' garment factories
DHAKA - A total of 84 garment factories in Bangladesh have had their Utilisation Declaration (UD) certificates suspended - preventing them from importing duty-free raw materials and exporting finished products - due to safety concerns. The… -
Thursday, 09 January 2020
Myanmar set to adjust minimum wage
YANGON – From next week, Myanmar’s government will begin research across major cities on the cost of labour in the garment, food and commodity sectors, as it looks to establish a new minimum wage to be introduced this May. Every two years the… -
Wednesday, 08 January 2020Call for action against 'unsafe' garment factories
DHAKA - The Bangladeshi government has ordered apparel trade bodies to prevent garment factories which have failed to improve safety to protect workers from exporting their products. The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments… -
Tuesday, 07 January 2020Vietnamese workers strike over inadequate bonuses
NINH BINH – More than a thousand workers at a garment manufacturing facility in Vietnam have gone on strike in protest over unpaid Tet bonuses traditionally awarded to staff in-line with the Lunar New Year. Each year, Vietnam celebrates the Lunar… -
Monday, 06 January 2020
Workers, employer at loggerheads after factory protests
YANGON – Garment workers at a Japanese-owned factory in Yangon, Myanmar, have threatened to protest at the doors of the Japanese embassy if the site’s bosses do not withdraw ongoing labour cases against the group of 16 employees. A band of workers… -
Monday, 06 January 2020Row over minimum wage hike in Bangladesh
DHAKA - A row has broken out between workers' rights campaigners and factory owners over a recent hike in the minimum wage paid to garment workers in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association took exception to a… -
Friday, 03 January 2020
Factory fire safety fears raised in Bangladesh
DHAKA - Safety experts fear lives could be put at risk in Bangladesh unless the fire safety sections of proposed new national building safety standards - which affect garment factories along with other structures - are strengthened. Experts at the… -
Monday, 23 December 2019Thousands protest in Bangladesh over unpaid wages
UTTARA – Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers in the suburbs of Dhaka have blocked a highway in protest over unpaid wages. Local reports indicate that workers belonging to the company Top Jeans are owed up to three months of backed up wages and… -
Friday, 20 December 2019Myanmar workforce protests labour rights inaction
YANGON – Around 200 workers from a garment factory in Myanmar are protesting at the doors of the Yangon region’s government office after a letter sent to its labour department was ignored. The World Jin Garment Factory’s workforce reported… -
Wednesday, 18 December 2019H&M joins Tent Partnership for Refugees
STOCKHOLM - The H&M group has joined the global Tent Partnership for Refugees private sector network which works to improve the lives and livelihoods of refugees. The company says the partnership will allow it to build on its work to address the… -
Wednesday, 18 December 2019Labour rights coalition calls for greater transparency
AMSTERDAM – Whilst recognising a surge in transparency within the apparel manufacturing industry, a new report published by a coalition of unions, human rights groups and labour rights advocates has called on more companies to commit to its… -
Monday, 16 December 2019
Garment workers protest unpaid wages
PHNOM PENH – Cambodian garment workers are protesting unpaid wages after bosses closed a manufacturing site without providing full payment or seniority benefits. The almost 200-strong workforce have slept on the doorstep of the manufacturing site… -
Friday, 13 December 2019Woman killed in Bangladesh garment factory explosion
DHAKA - A young woman has been killed and five other people injured in an explosion at a sweater factory - which reportedly supplies brands including H&M and Next - on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital city of Dhaka. Factory safety has once… -
Wednesday, 11 December 2019H&M signs agreement to protect migrant workers
GENEVA - The H&M Group has agreed with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to co-operate on the ethical recruitment and protection of migrant workers in its global supply chains. H&M Group’s head of sustainability Anna Gedda and Simo… -
Monday, 09 December 2019Myanmar the focus of new sustainability project
YANGON – A new phase of the European Union’s SMART Textile and Garments project has kick-started, focusing on environmental sustainability within Myanmar’s apparel manufacturing industry. With backing from H&M, Bestseller and C&A, organisers of the… -
Monday, 09 December 201943 killed in New Delhi garment factory fire
NEW DELHI - At least 43 people have been killed in a fire believed to have been caused by an electrical fault at a garment factory in the Indian capital city of New Delhi. More than 100 people were reportedly sleeping inside the factory when the… -
Friday, 22 November 2019CCC calls for Bangladeshi worker compensation scheme
DHAKA – Ahead of this Sunday’s public commemorations of the 112 lives lost in a Bangladeshi factory fire seven years ago, the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) reflects on the lack of progress its native industry has made in establishing a compensation… -
Tuesday, 19 November 2019Brands urged to act on treatment of refugee workers
ISTANBUL - A new report on the plight of Syrian refugees working in Turkey's garment industry says there is an urgent need for brands to act to improve conditions in their supply chains. Entitled Syrian Workers in Turkey's Garment Industry: Looking… -
Friday, 15 November 2019Lawyers urge EU to act on garment workers' wages
NEWCASTLE - The European Union is being urged by the lawyer authors of a new report to introduce new legislation to tackle poverty wages in global fashion supply chains. The Circle NGO, set up by the singer Annie Lennox to challenge injustices faced… -
Tuesday, 12 November 2019Dutch fashion brands pledge further transparency
AMSTERDAM – Eight Dutch fashion brands including Kings of Indigo, Kuyichi and WE Fashion have today signed a ‘transparency pledge’ as part of their involvement with the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile initiative. In doing so, the… -
Monday, 11 November 2019Apparel Coalition releases new Higg modules
SAN FRANCISCO – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has released the 2019 Higg Facility Modules; tools developed to improve social and environmental sustainability within the textiles industry. The introduction of the Higg Facility Environmental… -
Thursday, 07 November 2019AAFA writes to PM after Nirapon shut down
DHAKA – Fashion brands trade group American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) has written to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh expressing its fears for garment workers after the Nirapon safety monitoring organisation was shut down by the…
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