Certification in the textile sector – insights into the arena of sustainable strategies A look at the complex problems in the textile and clothing industry should illustrate how worthwhile the use of certification systems can also be in the textile industry. A range of initiatives, alliances, campaigns, standards and organic labels - in particular the GOTS-Global Organic Textile Standard - are presented here as examples. Some activities and pseudo-engagements end in greenwashing. What this means and where this leads is described in this article. Finally, the various concepts are reflected and solutions and recommendations for action are shown. Mehr Details
Fast Fashion Purchasing Practices in the EU This April 2023 report by today by the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) and based on field research undertaken by Clean Clothes Campaign Europe demonstrates the existence of unfair trading practices in the European apparel industry. Based on interviews with suppliers, experts and trade union representatives in six EU member states – Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy and Germany – the report ‘Fast Fashion Purchasing Practices in the EU. Business relations between fashion brands and suppliers” paints a clear picture of the volatile, risky and unbalanced trade relations between brands and manufacturers. Mehr Details
Summary: Stitching our Shoes - Homeworkers in South India The summary gives an overview on the situation of homeworkers in India, the invisible female workforce who stitch the leather uppers of shoes bound for sale in the UK and Europe. The shoe industry is an immense global business, with over 24 billion pairs produced last year alone, equating to three pairs of shoes made for every single person living. Complex global supply chains mean that tracing a pair of shoes from the shop floor through the factories, homes and tanneries in which they originated is virtually impossible. A lack of regulations allows this multi-billion pound industry to continue to operate without transparency. Issues with workers safety and poverty wages abound in an industry built on exploitation, yet those at the bottom of the chain are homeworkers. These are the ‘invisible’ women who stitch leather uppers in their home, earning next to nothing, with no security or benefits. Mehr Details
Towards a new normal: What must change in the Myanmar garment industry post-Corona crisis – a research into the labour conditions of two factories In this article, data are presented on key labour issues in two garment factories, Leader One and Dong Yi. From intensive interviews with 39 workers, a grim picture of the pre-Corona crisis situation arises. Things cannot go back to the way they were. Let the Corona crisis be a turning point to finally improve the lives of workers in the garment supply chain, starting with these two factories in Myanmar. Mehr Details
Resistance, harassment and intimidation – Garment worker abuse under Myanmar’s Military Rule Myanmar’s military illegally seized power on 1 February 2021. Since then, garment workers – mostly women – have been on the front line of the country’s Civil Disobedience Movement, risking their lives and livelihoods to demand an end to the dictatorship and restoration of democracy in Myanmar. This report depicts the situation of garment workers in Myanmar who suffer from working- and human rights violations. Mehr Details
