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Can jobs in garment supply chains fulfil their development potential and not be stuck in a ‘race to the bottom’? If so, under what conditions, and what is Better Work’s role in helping enable these conditions? To better understand the dynamics of achieving more decent jobs in garment supply chains, Better Work and its engagement with thousands of workplaces offer an entry point for comparison with non-Better Work firms, who tend to be less connected with well-known brands and retailers. This report analyses in which way the Better Work programme has positive influences on working conditions in the factories.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and amplified inequities and instabilities within the global garment supply chains feeding United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), Canadian, and European Union (EU) consumer markets. In March 2020, as lockdowns were imposed and consumer demand for clothes plummeted, MNCs cancelled orders and refused to pay for apparel that had already been produced.1 Even as governments made vast public funds available to help them weather disruption and shocks, many MNCs continued to eschew contractual obligations and transfer losses and risks onto their supply chain partners overseas.

The key aims of the research are to:
1) understand and compare whether, to what extent, and how the Covid-19 pandemic is deepening worker vulnerability to forced labour (Ethiopia, Honduras, India, and Myanmar)
2) determine and compare how company and government responses to the pandemic are shaping patterns of inequity within the garment supply chain
3) Investigate how governance in global garment supply chains has changed during the pandemic and with what consequences for workers and companies
To explore these questions, the research revealed a new primary dataset between September 2020 and April 2021, consisting of:

• Quantitative digital survey of workers in Ethiopia, Honduras, India, and Myanmar
• Interviews with workers in Ethiopia, Honduras, and India
• Expert interviews
• Database of 2020/2021 annual financial statements and sustainability reports and government information about pandemic business financing and assistance and social protection

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Position paper from NGO. In order to strengthen the responsibility of German companies for the environment and human rights, the Federal Government has for many years relied on so-called multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSI) instead of statutory regulation. The National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights, adopted by the Federal Government in December 2016, as well as the 2030 Agenda, rely on further industry dialogues or multi-stakeholder partnerships to promote human rights due diligence and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. MSI, however, is extremely time-consuming and resource-intensive for all parties involved and the results often fall short of the requirements of international standards. It is therefore important to weigh very carefully the conditions under which multistakeholder initiatives can make sense.

In a new position paper, the CorA network, the Forum for Human Rights, the Forum for Environment and Development, VENRO and the German Consumer Association (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband) set out which framework conditions and criteria of bindingness, transparency and verification must at least be met for MSI in order for it to make a meaningful contribution to strengthening corporate responsibility.

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As one of the biggest drivers of climate pollution, fashion companies must move decisively to break their dependence on fossil fuels, spurring the rapid transition to renewable energy and fossil free fabrics we need to safeguard a livable future.

The Fossil Free Fashion Score Card is a tool which shows the performance of different brands regarding climate apsects in their suppy chains.

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The globalisation of the shoe trade has led to a relocation of production to countries where work must be carried out in disregard of human rights at work and under irresponsible social and environmental conditions. Businesses and politicians have a responsibility to improve conditions so that human dignity is respected and the achievements of international labour law are no longer violated. These include:
In particular, the payment of living wages, ending the devastating environmental pollution, moving away from toxic chromium tanning in leather production and transparency along the entire value chain.

Editorial team: Janda, Lena

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