Worker Rights Consortium WRC) "FIRED, THEN ROBBED Fashion brands’ complicityin wage theft during Covid-19" (PDF file): The report found that in 31 factories in nine countries, 37,637 workers were laid off without compensation. In total, these workers were scammed by $39.8 million. According to estimates, the lack of payments to textile workers globally amounts to $500-850 million.
Four Paws Mulesing brand ranking: The ranking ranks 38 brands according to their efforts to counteract "mulesing" (the removal of the skin around the tail of sheep without pain elimination). The following textile alliance companies were ranked: Ortovox (mulesing-free Champion/5 stars), Esprit u. H&M (Gold/4 stars), C&A u. s.Oliver (Silver/3 stars), Adidas, Puma u. Hugo Boss (Bronze/2 stars).
Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textiles (AGT) List of living wage benchmarks in AGT production countries: The list shows the differences between minimum wages and livelihood wages in almost 50 countries. AGT It is based on benchmarks of WageIndicators and the Global Living Wage Coalition. The German Textile Alliance has also set itself Living Wage benchmarks by using the benchmarks set by the Fair Wear Foundation. These also use the calculations of the Global Living Wage Coalition based on the anchor method, but also Living Wage calculations of the Asia Floor Wage Alliance.
Amazon rises to Largest clothing retailer in the United States to: Despite a decline in overall demand for clothing, Amazon a considerable increase. According to the study of Well Fargos Amazon is doing better than the rest of the industry. Whether this is also directional for the German market It remains to be seen: 2019 remained Amazon in the online trade of clothing behind Zalando, Otto, bonprix, aboutyou and H&M.
STAR Initiative: The merger of producers from nine Asian and North African producing countries, which STARInitiative (funded by the GIZ and the International Apparel Federation), about which we reported in the news update KW 3, publishes first key claims. The first paper will be published at the end of April. Already mentioned claims are a payment period of 90 days, a ban on price reductions for orders already placed and restrictions on contractual clauses on force majeure (with which some companies legitimised their cancellations at the beginning of the crisis).
France voted for a "Carbon score" - based on the "Nutri-Score". The score should indicate the influence of a product on the climate. Industry first priority for implementation is the apparel industry.
COVID-19: FashionUnited Reports on the Situation in the producing countries. In contrast to the beginning of the crisis, the situation in the global south is less taken up by the media, although the situation continues to be catastrophic for many workers in the supply chains and does not seem to relax. The article picks up on some of the points we raised in the news update: Sudden redundancies, regressions in labour rights, demands for an aid fund, living wages, etc. - well-known people also have their say: Mostafiz Uddin, Alexander Kohn tribe (FWF), Fabienne Winkler (Clean Clothes Campaign).
Social compliance: professor Drusilla Brown (Tufts UnversityThe United States reported on their Research on the impact of social compliance measures. She believes that ‘when workers are better off, they are also more productive’. She also talks about the relationship between wage incentives and sexual harassment and the effect of women's empowerment training.
Bangladesh: To counter the rising number of infections, the government has imposed a new nationwide lockdown from 5 April, which is to apply for a week. Clothing factories were supposed to work with half of the workforce, according to the government, but the BGMEA resisted.. In a letter to the Ministry of Labour, the factory owners explained that the reduction of labor could not meet deadlines. Two days before the lockdown, the BGMEA announced that the factories would continue to work with a full workforce under increased hygiene measures.. As public transport was restricted It is unclear how the workers will come to the factories and back home.. On the first day of the lockdown, Many workers walk to the factories.
Sri Lanka: A report by the CCC summarizes the Situation in the country In doing so, it addresses regressions in dealing with trade unions and threats to the health of workers due to the lack of hygiene measures (COVID-19). Together with other organisations, the CCC calls on brands and factory owners to implement COVID-19 committees, fair pay and end anti-union campaigns, among other things.
Dominican Republic: The factory Alta Gracia, which has been regarded as a model factory since 2010 and paid living wages to its workers, had to suspend work for three months due to the pandemic and leave the workers without pay.
Myanmar: The impact of the coup on the garment factories is noticeable: Hundreds of thousands of workers flee Yangon After they lost their jobs. More than half a million jobs are at risk. The factories are struggling to purchase raw materials and export manufactured goods, and are also suffering from temporarily suspended orders from foreign companies. A worker says “We [workers] are always the first to suffer when there’s a crisis in the country.” She wishes to receive financial support for the employers who Civil disobedience movement (CDM) to support. Some of her friends use her severance payments to pay agents to arrange new jobs for her in Thailand.
