Social Compliance & CSR News
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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 2018Big 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 2018UK 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 2018Bangladesh 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. -
Monday, 24 September 2018Textile partnership calls for Accord transition support
BANGLADESH – Members of the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles – including Hugo Boss, Esprit and C&A – have urged the Bangladesh government to advocate for compliance with agreements regarding the transition of the Bangladesh Accord to a… -
Friday, 21 September 2018H&M hits living wage milestone
STOCKHOLM – Fashion giant H&M’s fair living strategy now reaches 655 factories employing more than 930,000 garment workers, up from three factories in 2013. -
Thursday, 20 September 2018Amfori targets supply chain gender equality
BRUSSELS – Having drawn inspiration from the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and its own Vision 2030 initiative, Amfori has launched a programme seeking to empower women throughout global supply chains. The Women’s Empowerment Programme will… -
Tuesday, 18 September 2018Bangladesh minimum wage stalemate rumbles on
DHAKA – Garment workers in Bangladesh have rejected the latest proposed increase to the minimum wage, stating that it is still not enough to support the lives of RMG sector employees. Unions representing the workers have taken this opportunity to… -
Monday, 17 September 2018Trump administration denies renewal of Bangladesh GSP
WASHINGTON - Bangladesh has, once again, been denied renewal of a Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) arrangement with the United States of America following the latest round of Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) talks in… -
Thursday, 13 September 2018PVH scoops US award for Ethiopian work
NEW YORK – PVH Corporation, the organisation which owns brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, has been selected to receive a 2018 US Secretary of State Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) for its work undertaken at the Hawassa… -
Tuesday, 11 September 2018Auditor negligence alleged over 2012 garment factory fire
KARACHI – A complaint has been filed against Italian auditing firm RINA after it is alleged the company ignored fatal flaws in garment factory safety systems which led to the Ali Enterprises fire in Karachi, Pakistan. The 2012 fire at the textile… -
Wednesday, 05 September 2018US stance on Uzbek cotton challenged
WASHINGTON – The Cotton Campaign international collective of NGOs, trade unions, apparel brands and socially responsible investors has written in opposition to the US Department of Labor’s latest decision regarding Uzbekistan’s cotton sector. -
Monday, 03 September 2018Bangladesh research suggests trade union deficiency
DHAKA – New study undertaken by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Bangladesh has found that 97.5 per cent of ready-made garment sector factories don't have trade union representation. The CPD survey also indicated that workers' organisations… -
Thursday, 30 August 2018Patagonia partners with academia on B Corp guides
VENTURA – Outdoor apparel brand Patagonia has collaborated with several US academic institutions to produce three guides, all targeting different business demographics, on the benefits of pursuing B Corp certification and the ethical practices which… -
Friday, 24 August 2018Uniqlo unpaid worker action needed, says CCC
AMSTERDAM – In contrast to the celebratory atmosphere at the retailer’s opening party of its new Stockholm flagship store, Uniqlo has been challenged by Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) to act immediately in order to settle a dispute with around 2000… -
Monday, 13 August 2018Survey suggests lack of RMG worker longevity
DHAKA – According to new research, just under 90 per cent of workers in the Bangladesh ready-made garment sector are below 30, with many people over this age citing excessive workloads as the reason for moving away from the industry. -
Tuesday, 07 August 2018Esprit and IndustriALL unite for workers’ rights
GENEVA – IndustriALL Global Union, the organisation which represents garment workers from across the world, has signed a global framework agreement with fashion brand Esprit which signals a commitment to protect and promote the human rights of… -
Wednesday, 01 August 2018Levi’s, Tesco join Green Supply Chain Map
BEIJING – Levi’s and Tesco have become the latest brands to join the Green Supply Chain Map; a publicly available online transparency tool that ties companies to their suppliers’ environmental performance in China. Developed by the Natural Resources… -
Tuesday, 31 July 2018Levi’s sets ambitious GHG targets
SAN FRANCISCO - Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) has set aggressive targets for reducing carbon emissions in an ambitious new climate action strategy, which sets out aims for the company use 100 per cent renewable electricity in its owned-and-operated… -
Tuesday, 31 July 2018Bangladesh on board with ILO’s Decent Work Programme
DHAKA – The Bangladeshi government, along with many of the country’s employers and worker's organisations have today signed on to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) latest Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) which will run until 2020.… -
Monday, 30 July 2018Japan NGO aims for transparent supply chains
TOKYO – A new NGO has been set up in Japan that aims to help both local and international apparel firms to identify supply chain problems and is already working with global textile firms Teijin, Mitsui Fashion, as well the AEON Group which is the… -
Wednesday, 25 July 2018OIA releases inaugural industry sustainability report
DENVER – Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has published the first-of-its-kind State of Sustainability in the Outdoor Industry report, in which it surveyed 120 companies from the outdoor sector to build a quantifiable picture of the efforts… -
Monday, 23 July 2018
Alliance Helpline broadens scope with independent management
DHAKA – The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety has announced that its 24-hour, first-of-its-kind worker helpline will transition from part of their operations to an external and independent initiative which has the capacity to expand its… -
Friday, 20 July 2018NGO ‘condemns’ latest BGMEA wage proposal
AMSTERDAM – Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has spoken out regarding the ongoing wrangling in Bangladesh regarding a proposed increase to the minimum monthly wage received by garment workers. This latest development caps off a week a turbulent week in… -
Thursday, 19 July 2018Primark unveils UNICEF partnership
DUBLIN – High street fashion retailer Primark has announced a three-year partnership with UNICEF which will see the organisations collaborate on work relating to education and emergency response. In total, Primark has confirmed it will commit US$… -
Wednesday, 18 July 2018Protests expected as Bangladesh wage proposal rejected
DHAKA – At an industry press briefing, representatives of Bangladeshi garment workers have rejected the latest proposals from factory bosses as the wrangle regarding an increase to the nation’s minimum wage continues. The most recent proposed… -
Tuesday, 17 July 2018Bangladesh factory bosses offer minimum wage compromise
DHAKA – After a long-running debate between unions and factory owners, there has finally been a slight breakthrough in the stalemate over an increase to the minimum monthly wage currently in place for Bangladeshi garment workers. Latest reports in… -
Thursday, 12 July 2018Automation predicted to increase labour abuses
BATH – Drastic job losses in South East Asia resulting from the onset of automation are predicted to produce a spike in slavery and labour abuses in global supply chains unless governments take action, according to a new report from risk analysis… -
Monday, 09 July 2018NGO support for higher Bangladesh minimum wage
AMSTERDAM - To coincide with this weekend's National Minimum Wage Board meeting, NGOs including Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) have declared their support for the immediate implementation of an increase to the minimum wage for garment workers in…
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