Social Compliance & CSR News
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Monday, 26 July 2021Unions to get tough in Cambodia pay rise talks
PHNOM PENH – Workers union representatives in Cambodia are still hopeful that overflowing order books will be instrumental in garment workers getting a more favourable deal from the upcoming 2022 wage talks. -
Friday, 23 July 2021Modern slavery concerns overlooked, report suggests
LONDON – A new report published by researchers from the universities of Liverpool and Nottingham suggests that amid the global pandemic, commercial and operational risks were prioritised by companies ahead of modern slavery concerns. ‘Implications… -
Friday, 23 July 2021Armani vows to reduce GHG emissions
MILAN – Italian fashion giant The Armani Group has vowed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 per cent over the next decade. The company says it is targeting a 50 per cent reduction in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2030 (from a 2019 base… -
Friday, 23 July 2021Unity needed on German microplastic waste
BONN - The production and household washing of sportswear such as fleece jackets and running gear results in around 10 tons of textile microplastics being released into the environment in Germany every year, according to the findings of a… -
Thursday, 22 July 2021Companies rally around California wage bill
CALIFORNIA – More than 140 businesses have come out in support of the Garment Worker Protection Act (SB 62), as state senator Maria Elena Durazo looks to push through what would be a historic bill for California. A press conference was hosted… -
Thursday, 22 July 2021Chinese factories 'laying off Xinjiang workers'
QINGDAO - Chinese apparel factories that make goods sold in the US for brands, including Nike, are reportedly laying off workers from the Xinjiang region to distance themselves from forced labour concerns. Several factories, including a subsidiary… -
Tuesday, 20 July 2021COVID costs garment workers nearly $12bn
GLOBAL - Garment workers are owed US$11.85 billion in unpaid wages and severance money as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic so far, according to new research by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). The report, entitled 'Still Un(der)paid', builds on… -
Thursday, 15 July 2021SBTi to increase minimum target to 1.5C
LONDON - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has updated its minimum requirement for corporate climate action to the more ambitious 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement. Previously companies were expected to at least set targets in line with… -
Tuesday, 13 July 2021COVID awareness campaign underway in Bangladesh
DHAKA – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a COVID-19 Behaviour Change Awareness Campaign in Bangladesh in a bid to educate and protect workers in the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector. The campaign targets households… -
Friday, 09 July 2021
California worker protection bill makes progress
CALIFORNIA – The Garment Worker Protection Act, also known as SB 62, has passed through California’s Assembly Judiciary Committee, as workers’ rights activists again try to tackle poverty pay across the state’s apparel manufacturing industry by way… -
Tuesday, 29 June 2021GoodWeave bid to help eliminate child labour
WASHINGTON DC - Workers' rights non-profit GoodWeave International has released a five-part series of practice briefs to help companies eliminate child labour from their supply chains. GoodWeave International says it wanted to make the resource… -
Friday, 25 June 2021Cash help for garment workers in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH – The Cambodian government has announced financial help for the country's garment workers who were said to be at risk of running out of money and food during a recent COVID-19 lockdown. The Ministry of Labour announced a programme worth… -
Monday, 21 June 2021Factory initiatives team up to support workers
AMSTERDAM – Responsible business initiatives Fair Wear Foundation, the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) and the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (PST) have come together to share resources and improve access to… -
Monday, 21 June 2021Research spotlights forced labour concerns
SHEFFIELD – Research into fashion supply chains has found that the coronavirus pandemic and the inadequate efforts of brands and retailers to protect their supply chains has increased workers’ vulnerability to forced labour. Academics at the… -
Monday, 21 June 2021Dutch agreement on supply chains shows progress
AMSTERDAM – The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) has published its latest annual report, which highlights that progress has been made by signatories despite the effects of COVID-19. The AGT brings together companies, trade… -
Monday, 14 June 2021Bangladesh reforms crisis management committee
DHAKA – Bangladesh has reformed a crisis management core committee launched back in 2010 as it looks to resolve unrest and address the ready-made garment (RMG) sector’s broader labour issues. The committee will be led by the country’s state minister… -
Tuesday, 08 June 2021UK launches workers’ rights watchdog
LONDON – The UK government has launched a new workers’ rights watchdog which it says will “take action against companies that turn a blind eye to abuses in their supply chains”. In particular, authorities are keen to address compliance within the… -
Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Forced labour at factories implicates brands
TAMIL NADU – The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and South Asian workers’ rights organisation Arisa have unearthed evidence of forced labour in India’s cotton supply network, implicating brands such as Tesco, Zeeman, Gap and… -
Wednesday, 26 May 2021VF Corp pledges to help eliminate child labour
DENVER – VF Corporation, which owns the likes of The North Face, Vans and Timberland, has pledged to protect children's rights in support of the UN International Year For The Elimination Of Child Labour. VF has announced that it is creating a new… -
Thursday, 20 May 2021PVH pays for nutrition services in Bangladesh
DHAKA – Fashion giant PVH Corp, which owns the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, has announced a new partnership with non-profit The Power of Nutrition, through which women in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector will benefit from new… -
Monday, 17 May 2021Sedex tool highlights forced labour indicators
LONDON – Ethical sourcing organisation Sedex has developed the 'Forced Labour Indicators tool' in a bid to sound the alarm on cases of exploitation within supply chains. More than 10 per cent of Sedex members are in the apparel sector, each of which… -
Thursday, 13 May 2021LA garment factory fined for worker violations
CALIFORNIA – An investigation by the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has found one garment factory to be in breach of the Fair Labor Standards Act, having underpaid workers and failed to maintain payroll records. The Sew Nice factory… -
Tuesday, 06 April 2021Garment workers call for better contract terms
GLOBAL – Apparel suppliers across Asia have come together to demand better contracts from fashion brands and retailers. A draft document, seen by Reuters, comes after many high-street names pulled orders upon the global outbreak of the coronavirus,… -
Friday, 12 March 2021
Academics reimagine supply chains to promote fair labour
SHEFFIELD – A team of researchers from the University of Sheffield, Stanford University and Yale University have launched a project that it says will “reimagine business models and global supply chains to promote fair, equitable labour standards in… -
Wednesday, 10 March 2021Remake ‘Week of Action’ targets consumer engagement
SAN FRANCISCO – Almost a year since launching its #PayUp campaign, workers’ rights NGO Remake has embarked on a ‘Week of Action’, focusing on educating consumers on the plights of garment workers and rallying more people around its cause. It was the… -
Monday, 08 March 2021Worker dead after Bangladeshi factory fire
GAZIPUR – One garment worker has died and more than 20 injured after a fire broke out at a textile chemicals factory in the Bangladeshi city of Gazipur. The deceased has been identified as 23-year-old Masum Sikder, who it’s suspected might’ve died… -
Friday, 05 March 2021Fashion Makes Change launches first consumer programme
NEW YORK – The Fashion Makes Change (FMC) initiative, launched last year by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) with the backing of fashion brands and retailers across the industry, has kick-started its first programme to support the education… -
Thursday, 25 February 2021
Levi’s, Kontoor back abuse awareness initiative
LESOTHO – A new programme launched in the African nation of Lesotho will combat gender-based violence and harassment in the apparel industry via awareness training and a confidential reporting system. The initiative, which will support an initial… -
Thursday, 18 February 2021
Supply chain initiative to tackle worker exploitation
WASHINGTON – A new pilot project led by workers’ rights NGO Verité that will test the potential for tracing technologies to uncover cases of exploitation within fashion supply chains has been backed with a US$4 million grant. The Supply Chain… -
Monday, 15 February 2021
Fair Wear Foundation unveils new members
AMSTERDAM – The Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), a non-profit established to improve workplace conditions within apparel supply chains, has welcomed five new brands to its network. Dutch menswear brand Atelier Munro, German firms Olymp and Hakro, British… -
Friday, 12 February 2021Dismissed workers win reemployment campaign
KARNATAKA – After an eight-month campaign, workers’ rights NGO IndustriALL has announced that the 1,257 workers that were controversially fired by Indian garment supplier Gokaldas Exports amidst the pandemic will be reemployed at one of the group’s… -
Friday, 22 January 2021Cambodian businesses forced to issue seniority pay
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Ith Sam Heng has issued a notice which will require all employers in the country, including those in the garment sector, to pay former and current employees the seniority pay to… -
Thursday, 21 January 2021NGO proposals urge brands to pay a living wage
GLOBAL – A coalition of workers’ rights NGOs have launched a website that lays out proposals for wage reform in the global garment industry. Backed by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) and Workers-driven Social… -
Monday, 04 January 2021Karnataka government fails to protect workers, study finds
KARNATAKA – The author of a case study which has highlighted the unfair dismissal of more than 1,000 workers at a garment factory in Karnataka says the Indian state’s government failed to protect site staff, many of whom will now go without adequate… -
Friday, 18 December 2020Bangladesh’s female workforce diminishing, data shows
DHAKA – New data collected by the team behind BRAC University’s Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB) platform shows that the proportion of women in the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector is diminishing, reportedly due to a rise in automation, wage… -
Tuesday, 15 December 2020Survey: COVID-19 exacerbating worker plights
COPENHAGEN – Business consultancy BSR, which is behind the women’s empowerment initiative HERproject, has surveyed more than 1,000 garment workers across Bangladesh, China, India, Vietnam and Egypt to determine the extent to which COVID-19 has… -
Friday, 11 December 2020
Company ‘dashboards’ highlight lack of transparency
LONDON – The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) has created ‘dashboard’ pages for 275 of the world’s largest fashion and textile companies, detailing their financial information, alleged rights violations and civil society benchmark… -
Thursday, 10 December 2020NGOs launch fresh workers’ rights proposals in California
CALIFORNIA – Workers’ rights organisations and advocates have launched a new campaign to pass the Garment Workers Protection Act (SB 62) next year, after the proposals failed to come up for a vote before this year’s deadline in September. The bill,… -
Tuesday, 08 December 2020Survey unmasks COVID-19 plight of Brazilian workers
SÃO PAOLO – A widespread lack of demand in the Brazilian textile sector due to the global pandemic has brought about a sharp drop in income for migrant workers – mostly women from Bolivia – as prices for sewn-goods have plummeted. A new survey from… -
Friday, 04 December 2020GoodWeave report highlights hardships in India, Nepal
WASHINGTON – Child and workers' rights non-profit GoodWeave International has surveyed carpet, home textile and garment workers in both India and Nepal on the extent to which COVID-19 has impacted their livelihoods, and warns that “extreme… -
Wednesday, 02 December 2020New initiative mentors modern slavery survivors
LONDON – A new initiative which looks to empower survivors of modern slavery to become leaders of anti-slavery organisations in their communities has gained the backing of the Laudes Foundation, amongst others. This new venture has been established… -
Tuesday, 01 December 2020Switzerland rejects human rights legislation
BERN – Swiss voters have rejected a proposal that would have held companies accountable for human rights or environmental violations within their global supply chains. Despite the Responsible Business Initiative (RBI) garnering 50.7 per cent of… -
Monday, 30 November 2020Worldwide protests hold Amazon to account
GLOBAL – Trade unions, human rights organisations and environmental campaign groups around the world staged demonstrations over the Black Friday weekend criticising e-commerce giant Amazon’s treatment of its suppliers and staff during the pandemic.… -
Monday, 16 November 2020Adidas tops latest Human Rights Benchmark
LONDON – The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) has today published its fourth Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB), assessing 230 of the world’s most influential companies on their human rights disclosure. With scores determined in-line with each… -
Friday, 25 September 2020Inquiry lambasts Boohoo for Leicester ‘failings’
LEICESTER – An independent inquiry into fast fashion retailer Boohoo’s working practises in Leicester has found significant ‘failings’ in its supply chain following claims in July that garment workers were being paid below the minimum wage and… -
Tuesday, 22 September 2020Gender data in industry "woefully insufficient"
AMSTERDAM – The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) has today published a Gender Baseline Report, having assessed the commitments and strategies of 36 leading apparel brands around the world. The report looks at the gender data disclosure of each… -
Friday, 18 September 2020Coats Digital solution calculates fair wages for workers
UXBRIDGE – Coats Digital, the technological arm of industrial thread manufacturer Coats, has updated its GSDCost software – which helps fashion brands and manufacturers streamline the logistics of their operations – to introduce a new globalised… -
Tuesday, 15 September 2020Laudes Foundation pushes for regenerative economy
LONDON – The Laudes Foundation has forged partnerships with both the Council on Economic Policies (CEP) and the New Economics Foundation (NEF), and will free up €5.5 million to accelerate a push towards a more inclusive and regenerative economy.… -
Friday, 04 September 2020Slavery risks 'surge in manufacturing hubs'
BATH – The risk of modern slavery in garment and textile manufacturing hubs in Asia has risen dramatically on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to consultants Verisk Maplecroft. In its 2020 Human Rights Outlook report, the global risk… -
Tuesday, 01 September 2020ITUC urges Cambodia to release jailed activists
PHNOM PENH – The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has weighed in on the controversial arrests of labour rights activists in Cambodia, and has urged the country’s government to drop all charges against detainees, including those…
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