Workers Rights & Ethics
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Tuesday, 29 November 2022Anti-corruption NGO quits textiles partnership
BERLIN - The Transparency International NGO has left the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles (GPST) because it says the multi-stakeholder organisation is failing to prioritise anti-corruption due diligence. Transparency International Germany… -
Thursday, 24 November 2022Fashion encouraged to engage social enterprises
BERLIN – A new report from German organisation Yunus Social Business says that brands and retailers could accelerate work towards their ESG (environmental, social and governance) targets by collaborating with social enterprises as suppliers. Whilst… -
Thursday, 24 November 2022More brands urged to back International Accord
DHAKA - Workers' rights campaigners are marking the 10th anniversary of Bangladesh's deadliest factory fire by urging more brands to sign up to the International Accord for Safety and Health in the Textile and Garment Industry. More than 180 brands… -
Monday, 21 November 2022Cambodia 'used pandemic to restrict unions'
PHNOM PENH - The Cambodian government used the COVID-19 pandemic to block the right to strike in the garment industry, jail union activists and restrict union formation, according to a new report from the Human Rights Watch NGO. Entitled 'Only… -
Friday, 18 November 2022IFC supports Sri Lankan worker programme
COLOMBO – The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), Sri Lanka’s garment manufacturing body, has teamed up with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to implement the latter’s Respectful Workplaces Programme across the nation’s apparel… -
Tuesday, 15 November 2022Deaths 'highlight need to expand Accord to Pakistan'
KARACHI - Workers' rights campaigners are calling for plans to expand the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry to Pakistan to be sped up on the back of new accident figures. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC)… -
Tuesday, 15 November 2022Human Rights Watch takes aim at supplier audits
BRUSSELS – Human Rights Watch has published a new report in which it says that audits and certifications for suppliers in industries including fashion aren’t sufficient in measuring social and environmental due diligence. The organisation points to… -
Monday, 14 November 2022Madagascan workers take stand against harassment
ANTANANARIVO – Garment workers in Madagascar are encouraging their peers to unionise in a bid to eradicate gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH). Inspired by training on the International Labour Organization’s Convention 190, factory staff at… -
Friday, 11 November 2022Uzbek cotton harvest 'shows risks remain'
TASHKENT – Human rights concerns remain in Uzbekistan's cotton industry, including the risk of forced labour, according to the preliminary findings of independent civil society monitoring of this year's harvest. The study, by the Uzbek Forum for… -
Thursday, 10 November 2022IndustriALL launches gender equality task force
GENEVA – The IndustriALL Global Union has announced the formation of a gender equality task force which will look to drive change in the apparel, mining and electronics sectors. The body’s first priority will be to develop a policy capable of… -
Tuesday, 08 November 2022IndustriALL calls out ‘anti-worker’ action in Bangladesh
DHAKA – Workers’ rights non-profit IndustriALL has urged the government of Bangladesh to make “sincere efforts” to embark on a labour law reform in line with the demands of the International Labour Organization (ILO). In 2019, the ILO requested that… -
Monday, 07 November 2022Brands 'enter into talks on Myanmar exit'
YANGON - The IndustriALL global trade union has revealed that it has entered into discussions with brands on a responsible exit from Myanmar because of the deteriorating human rights situation. IndustriALL, which recently urged all western fashion… -
Friday, 04 November 2022Bid to share worker treatment with consumers
RALEIGH - Academics at a US university are setting up a new simplified system for sharing information on working conditions in apparel factories with consumers. A multi-disciplinary research team at North Carolina State University is developing the… -
Thursday, 03 November 2022Adidas supplier 'sacked striking workers'
YANGON - A Myanmar garment manufacturer which supplies sportswear giant Adidas has allegedly sacked 39 trade union members, who led a strike over pay and conditions, and called in the military. About 2,000 workers reportedly went on strike at the… -
Wednesday, 02 November 2022
Oeko-Tex tool assesses due diligence compliance
ZÜRICH – Oeko-Tex has launched a new ‘Responsible Business’ tool in a bid to support brands, retailers and traders in the textile and leather sectors with due diligence compliance. Based on a range of international policies with additional focus on… -
Friday, 28 October 2022Eight out of 10 'at risk of modern slavery'
BATH - Eight out of 10 people globally live in areas rated as being at high or extreme risk of modern slavery, according to a new report from global supply chain risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft. The company says its findings show how hard it will… -
Monday, 24 October 2022Sri Lanka’s Labour Ministry urged to support workers
COLOMBO – Workers’ rights organisations including Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and Labour Behind the Label have urged Sri Lanka’s authorities to meet with trade unions to establish mechanisms that will protect workers at a time of political chaos.… -
Thursday, 20 October 2022Campaign targets Adidas on workers' rights
GLOBAL - Sportswear giant Adidas is being targeted by the 'Pay Your Workers' campaign in a series of protests over supply chain workers' rights which will next week be staged in more than 20 cities around the world. Pay Your Workers, which claims… -
Monday, 17 October 2022Shein garment workers 'toil 18 hour days'
NANJING - Garment workers in factories which supply fast fashion giant Shein are working 18-hour days with only one day off a month in exchange for less than US$600, according to a new report. An undercover investigation by British broadcaster… -
Monday, 17 October 2022ACT reports on purchasing progress of brands
BERLIN - The ACT initiative has released a new report which explores major fashion companies' progress on purchasing practices from the perspectives of both their own employees and their suppliers. ACT is an agreement between 19 global brands -… -
Thursday, 13 October 2022UK companies 'too reliant on carbon offsets'
LONDON - British businesses are increasingly using carbon offsets to mask insufficient efforts to reduce their own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to a new report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC). Too many companies in the UK are… -
Tuesday, 11 October 2022Garment workers exploited in union crackdown
GLOBAL - The right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is under attack in major garment producing countries in Asia, according to new research by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC). Researchers interviewed 24 trade… -
Thursday, 06 October 2022US bid to improve lot of Uzbek cotton workers
WASHINGTON – The US Department of Labor has awarded a US$2 million grant to help improve working conditions and prevent forced and child labour in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. Administered by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), the… -
Thursday, 06 October 2022
Leicester MP concerned for city’s garment workers
LEICESTER – A Labour MP has expressed concerns for garment workers in Leicester amid suggestions that the British government is set to cut red tape for businesses with fewer than 500 employees. Speaking at a recent event, Chief Secretary to the… -
Wednesday, 05 October 2022
Hanesbrands bails out Haitian garment workers
WINSTON-SALEM – Apparel company Hanesbrands has paid out US$330,000 to compensate more than 800 garment workers in Haiti after the closure of their factory threatened to leave them in poverty. Hanesbrands, which owns brands including Champion,… -
Monday, 03 October 2022
New US list highlights forced labour risks
WASHINGTON DC - Uzbekistan cotton has been taken off the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) list of goods believed to be made with forced or child labour - but garments and textiles from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Ghana have been added.… -
Thursday, 29 September 2022Textile unions campaign for social protection
MENA - Textile unions in Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia, Egypt and Palestine have launched a campaign to fight for social protection and better health and safety standards in the region’s textile, garment, shoes and leather (TGSL) factories. Unions in the… -
Monday, 26 September 2022YESS launches standards to tackle forced labour
BERKELEY - The YESS (Yarn Ethically and Sustainably Sourced) project to eliminate forced labour in the cotton industry has released its first standard for fabric mills and updated its standard for spinning mills. The YESS Standard for Fabric Mills:… -
Wednesday, 21 September 2022Minimum wage hike agreed for Cambodia
PHNOM PENH – The minimum wage for garment, footwear and textile workers in Cambodia is to rise to US$200 a month next year, following negotiations between factory owners, trade unions and government officials. Unions had been demanding a US$21 rise… -
Tuesday, 20 September 2022
Tool shows stagnated garment worker wages
AMSTERDAM - Workers' rights campaigners have launched new data which they say highlights how supply chain garment workers are becoming worse off as their wages are eroded by soaring inflation. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has added new data to… -
Tuesday, 20 September 2022IndustriALL urges brands to leave Myanmar
YANGON - The IndustriALL global trade union has written to brands and retailers sourcing from Myanmar urging them to begin negotiations on a responsible exit following a major study into the human rights implications of continuing to do business in… -
Wednesday, 14 September 2022
50 million people in modern slavery - report
GENEVA – Fifty million people were living in modern slavery last year, according to a new joint report from the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The report says that 28… -
Tuesday, 13 September 2022
Casual garment workers 'denied rights in Turkey'
ISTANBUL - A new report on casual employment in the Turkish garment industry says that working without social security is “ordinary” for garment workers and retirement is "beyond their wildest dreams". The study, from Clean Clothes Campaign Turkey… -
Monday, 12 September 2022ETI urges brands to reassess presence in Myanmar
YANGON - The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is urging brands and retailers sourcing from Myanmar to reassess their presence in the country following what is claimed to be the most comprehensive study so far into the human rights implications. The… -
Friday, 09 September 2022
US lifts import ban on Indian garment maker
WASHINGTON DC — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has lifted an import ban on an Indian garment manufacturer - which supplied major brands including H&M - after officials accepted that forced labour had been eradicated. Natchi Apparel, which is… -
Thursday, 08 September 2022Donations sought for Pakistan cotton farmers
QUETTA – In addition to the loss of lives, homes, and livelihoods due to the floods in Pakistan, the unprecedented monsoon rainfall has also damaged crops on over 1 million hectares of land including the province of Balochistan, where 13,000 organic… -
Wednesday, 07 September 2022Nike shareholders urged to halt China sourcing
BEAVERTON - Two ethical investment companies are urging shareholders of sportswear giant Nike to pause the sourcing of cotton and other raw materials from China because of ongoing concerns about the alleged use of forced labour. New York-based… -
Wednesday, 07 September 2022Brands accused of obstructing Accord’s expansion
ISLAMABAD – A new report from the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has accused leading fashion firms, such as H&M, Inditex, Bestseller and C&A, of obstructing the expansion of the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment… -
Thursday, 01 September 2022
UN releases assessment of Xinjiang
XINJIANG – The United Nations’ Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) has published its assessment of human rights concerns in China’s Xinjiang region, where it’s reported that 1.6 million Uyghur Muslims are being held in the largest… -
Tuesday, 30 August 2022ILO, Nike in bid to protect garment workers
GENEVA - The International Labour Organization (ILO) has linked up with sportswear giant Nike for a new initiative to cut road deaths and injuries among commuting garment and footwear workers. The joint project aims to understand why garment and… -
Thursday, 25 August 2022Cambodian garment workers seek wage hike
PHNOM PENH – Trade unions representing garment workers in Cambodia are demanding a US$21 rise in the minimum wage for their members while factory owners want them held at the current level of US$194 a month. Those are the positions of the two sides… -
Wednesday, 24 August 2022Myanmar coup's toll on unions and civil society
YANGON - The military coup in Myanmar has taken a severe toll on the abilities of trade unions and civil society organisations to protect workers and migrants, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO). Entitled… -
Wednesday, 24 August 2022Bangladesh suppliers to use Fair Price app
DHAKA - Factory owners in Bangladesh have signed a deal to use the Fair Wear Foundation's Fair Price app which is designed to help negotiate prices with buyers which allow for the payment of a fair wage to garment workers. The Bangladesh Knitwear… -
Tuesday, 23 August 2022New deal on workplace safety in Bangladesh
DHAKA - A new agreement to improve workplace safety and health in Bangladesh has been agreed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). It will cover 10 priority sectors… -
Thursday, 18 August 2022IndustriALL urges brands to support Sri Lanka
COLOMBO - The IndustriALL global trade union federation has added its voice to those urging global apparel brands to continue sourcing from Sri Lanka to help the country through its current economic crisis. People in Sri Lanka currently face daily… -
Tuesday, 16 August 2022China confirms ILO forced labour conventions
GENEVA - China has lodged documents with the International Labour Organization (ILO) confirming its ratification of the organisation's conventions on forced labour amidst ongoing concerns over its use in the Xinjiang region's cotton industry. Martha… -
Tuesday, 16 August 2022Cambodia’s garment sector starts wage talks
PHNOM PENH – Discussions regarding the revised minimum wages of garment workers in Cambodia have started, as union representatives yesterday met with members of the National Minimum Wage Council. The meeting was described by local news outlets as… -
Monday, 15 August 2022
ACT bid to protect workers' rights in Turkey
BERLIN - Members of the ACT initiative, which include 19 global brands and the IndustriALL global union, have today moved to pressure garment and textile factories in Turkey into respecting workers' rights. ACT, which is supported by major fashion… -
Friday, 12 August 202240,000 loom workers strike in Pakistani city
FAISALABAD - More than 40,000 power loom workers in Pakistan's textiles hub city of Faisalabad have gone on strike for improved pay and conditions, according to the IndustriALL global union. The workers have also been demonstrating on the streets of… -
Wednesday, 10 August 2022ETI to publish study on sourcing from Myanmar
YANGON - The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) will later this month publish the findings of what it says is the most comprehensive study so far into the human rights implications of continued sourcing from Myanmar. Brands and retailers Aldi South,…
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