Social Compliance & CSR News
-
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… -
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…
BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE
OTHER PUBLICATIONS FROM MCL NEWS & MEDIA
©
2008 - 2020
MCL News & Media