Business of Fashion (BoF) "The sustainability gap" (PDF file): The BoF Sustainability Index examines the current state of the fashion industry in terms of environmental and social standards. For this purpose, large companies, as well as the companies in the textile alliance, are evaluated. Adidas, Puma and H&M, in the areas of transparency, emissions, water & chemicals, materials, labour rights and disposal. BoF also sets ambitious targets, such as complete transparency in supply chains by 2022 and the introduction of a livelihood wage by 2025. None of the companies achieves a ranking above 50 (out of 100).
International Labour Organization (ILO) "Reducing the footprint? How to assess carbon emissions in the garment sector in Asia" (PDF file): The study discusses emerging emissions in the textile and clothing sector and lists tools that can make these emissions measurable in order to identify potential savings.
ecos "Durable, repairable and mainstream - How ecodesign can make our textiles circular" (PDF file): ecos criticises current seals and certificates because they do not consider the aspects of longevity, reusability, repairability and recyclability. The Green button is one of the seals which does not deal with any of the four aspects (listing p.15). Recommendations will be made on the following topics: Consideration of longevity in design; easier reusability, repairability, upcycling capability and recyclability; elimination of toxic components; microplastics; sustainable materials; extended producer responsibility; Traceability and transparency.
Stephen J. Frenkel and Elke S. Schuessler "From Rana Plaza to Covid‐19: Deficiencies and Opportunities for a New Labour Governance System in Garment Global Supply Chains": The study examines the changes that have occurred since the Rana Plaza The factory collapsed due to labour regulations. This is done through the concept of a Labour governance system (Lgs). Apart from improvements in building safety, there have been no significant changes in other areas such as wages and working hours. The author and the author give suggestions on how to Lgs can be improved.
Issara Institute "Repayment of Recruitment Fees to Workers" (PDF file): The institute from Thailand presents four best practices for repaying recruitment fees as a form of redress for victims of forced labour practices.
ACCORD: Emily Chan reported in the Vogue on the successes of the ACCORDand calls for a binding international agreement, this on the ACCORD It must also include aspects such as freedom of trade and gender-based violence. Labour behind the Label announces: that ASOS for an agreement under the ACCORD pronounce and encourages other companies to join the push. 180 international investors also speak in one Statement for an agreement covering the measures of the ACCORDs continues. The CCC, Worker Rights Consortium and other NGO Witness Signatories of the ACCORDS have an study (PDF file) that enumerates unresolved security risks in factories that produce for 12 leading brands that ACCORD have signed. The data show that each of these brands, including the textile alliance members ALDI North, ALDI South, LIDL, H&M and C&A, from dozens of factories that have failed to install fire alarms, sprinkler systems and/or adequate emergency exits. These brands should urgently have a legally binding successor agreement to the ACCORD sign to ensure that these risks are remedied.
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) cooperates with the African Cotton Foundation (ACF). Through the merger It is now possible to co-finance the Aid by Trade Foundation be applied for in order to promote innovative measures, e.g. in the field of integrated agriculture. AFC to support the implementation of certain measures, such as the coordination of training.
Existing wages: Andrew Morgan (Director of The true cost) and Livia Firth (Eco-age) publish the documentation "Fashionscapes: A Living Wage". In the documentation, among other things, the work of the NGO The Circle and the activist Kalpona Akter, who fight for the payment of livelihood wages and work together for a corresponding EU legislation.
Purchasing practices: The American Bar Association is working on model contractual clauses to support suppliers and buyers in concluding contracts. With the Model contract clauses (MCCs) Human rights due diligence obligations should be enshrined in contracts. These clauses could prevent fashion companies from taking responsibility and legitimising their cancellations - as at the beginning of the crisis - by referring to contractual clauses on force majeure. The Association also has an Buyer Code of Conduct created. Also factory owners Mostafiz Uddin sees a legally binding charter as the only possible solution for fair purchasing practices: The only real, long-term solution I can see is something legally binding that the whole industry signs up to. This would be an industry charter, a set of minimum agreed conditions around brand purchasing which all buyers and sellers must adhere to.
Bangladesh: The Daily Star grasps the Findings of several studies on wage fraud together: According to a study by Centre for Policy Dialogue 96.4% of factories failed to comply with the laws on compensation for workers' redundancies. This Business and Human Rights Resource Center reports that 16 international brands made $10 billion in profit, during which about 10,000 workers were scammed for wages (see News Update KW 10). In the study of Worker Rights Consortium the outstanding payments of numerous factories in the Global South are listed (see News Update KW 14). In the case of the factory A-One BD Ltd Pay fraud is $585,200. In the article also workers of the factory come Dragon sweaters to speak. worker Romesa worked in the factory for 23 years and received less than half of their own payments in the Provident Fund as compensation.
India: The Government in Karnataka announced a 14-day lockdown, in which the textile factories must also close. The Garment and Textile Workers Union (GATWU) criticizes that other industries - such as agriculture and construction - continue to work. They call on the government, the factories leave open at 50% capacity so that delivery deadlines can be met. Migrants are at odds: On the one hand, they fear for their jobs when they return to their hometowns, on the other hand, they are afraid that they will not survive the lockdown without work and wages if it is extended.
Cambodia: In the factory Star Master and Frank were 232 of the 678 workers tested positive for the coronavirus. The lockdown in Phnom Penh It affects about 500,000 textile workers. The Department of Labor says it It is not possible to pay wages during lockdown.. The workers are now dependent on the solidarity and social responsibility of the factory owners. Many workers are now Provided with food by aid organizations and the government. The government has called for a Telegram-Report group to request help. In the Group with 45,000 members there were 3400 reports.
Vietnam: The Textile industry struggles with a shortage of workers. Many workers have returned to their hometowns during the pandemic and have chosen not to come back and work in other occupations.
