Clean clothes campaign "UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Outstanding safety hazards at garment factories show that the Accord must be extended and expanded": The report lists uncorrected safety risks in factories that produce for twelve brands that Accord Signed (among others). Aldi North, Aldi south, C&A, H&M, and Lidl). The data shows that each of these brands comes from dozens of factories where no fire alarms, sprinkler systems and/or adequate emergency exits have been installed. The CCC calls, therefore, for these marks to sign a new legally binding agreement to ensure that these risks are eliminated. UNI and IndustriALL have announced that they and local unions in Bangladesh are withdrawing from the RSC (RMG Sustainability Council)there should be no legally binding successor agreement to the ACCORD. Thus, it loses RSC any credibility as an effective organisation for occupational safety. The second company (after Asos) is now also a member of the Textile Alliance Tchibo for the extension of the Accord from.
Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action "Identifying low Carbon Sources of Cotton and Polyester Fibers": This report was developed with the primary goal of identifying the key processes contributing to lower carbon raw materials for cotton and polyester. The report examines different methods of producing materials, e.g. organic farming compared to conventional cultivation or virgin polyester compared to mechanically recycled polyester. While otherwise climate measures focus on bringing suppliers from renewable energies and energy-saving measures, this report provides input for the often neglected topic of climate-friendly material selection.
QIMA "Q2 2021 BAROMETER: As Businesses Look To Leave ‘Crisis Mode’ Behind, Diversification Continues While Ethical Compliance and Quality Take a Hit": The report examines developments within global value chains. Last year, ethical risks in global supply chains increased amid complex challenges and far-reaching disruptions. More than a third of companies in the QIMA-Survey indicated that they have observed additional ethical issues in their supply chain as a result of the pandemic. The percentage of factories rated "fail" due to critical non-compliance ("red") climbed to 27%, a three-year high.
spehra and Cotton made in Africa "Life Cycle Assessment of Cotton made in Africa": The study examines the ecological footprint of cotton, which CmiAThe standard has been checked. In terms of water consumption and climate change, CmiA cotton is better than most, mainly because it is grown by smallholder farmers who rely only on rain-fed agriculture and use significantly less fertilizer than farmers in other cotton growing areas. The study also includes the first impact assessment on biodiversity in growing areas.
Recycled polyester: Textile exchange and the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Accion have one Joint initiative on recycled polyester (rPET) started. The goal is to achieve a volume of the more "sustainable" (i.e. not necessarily sustainable) rPET of 45% by 2025 and to save emissions. By 2030, the share of rPET is expected to rise to 90%. Among the 85 companies that have committed, among others. Adidas and H&M.
Impact of the coronavirus crisis on women: According to a report by Oxfam International The coronavirus crisis will cost women around the world at least $800 billion in income losses in 2020, which is more than the combined GDP of 98 countries. In addition, women have lost more than 64 million jobs - a loss of 5% compared to 3.9% for men.
Minimum wages/existence wages in Europe: The Clean clothes campaign It is clear that an EU Directive on adequate minimum wages This could mean real change for textile workers. However, minimum wages must be based on the real cost of living of a family and ensure the right to a living wage - this is not the case in the current proposal. (See also: News Update KW 15 - "Benchmark for a European Basic Existence Wage")
Corona support payments: The Financial Transparency Coalition (Transparency International is part of this coalition) has found that the vast majority of coronavirus support funds (63%) went to large companies rather than to welfare companies, small businesses or people in the informal sector. This is the first comprehensive analysis of the public rescue funds disbursed during the pandemic in Kenya, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
Bangladesh: According to a study by Center for Policy Dialogues (CPD) In the context of the coronavirus crisis, brands generally did not respond to the problem of the dismissal of workers from their partner factories. Only 14.7% of factories were asked by brands not to lay off workers, only 1 % of the factories indicated that the brands concerned agreed to bear the associated costs if they did not lay off workers. To prevent further spread of the coronavirus over the holidays Eid al-Fitr (Feast of the Breaking of the Fast), Bangladesh government ordered factory owners to give workers no more than three days off. Workers in Dhaka and Gazipur protested for the payment of the holiday bonuses and an extension of the holidays. The Minister of Labour then called for: pay all wages and bonuses by 10.05. and returned the responsibility for deciding the length of the holidays to the factory owners.
India: The government in Karnataka decided at the end of April that the Textile factories are allowed to work at 50% capacity despite lockdown Then came the demand of Garment and Textile Workers Union (GATWU) after (see News Update KW 17). Karnataka is currently one of the Regions with the highest COVID-19 cases. According to a study, about 230 million Indians in poverty in 2020 slipped. The current situation is likely to exacerbate this development.
Myanmar: Since the beginning of February, 781 people killed by the military4916 were arrested (3843 of whom are still in custody) and 1561 arrest warrants were issued. According to a report by UNDP could Nearly half of Myanmar's population in poverty by 2022 live - triggered by the impact of the pandemic and political unrest. According to the Solidarity Centers were At least 20 union leaders arrested since the start of the coup.
