Step into the future: #42 CIVIDEP and Femnet: How is the situation of Indian workers one year after the pandemic? Interview with Parvathi Madappa and Lea Kress How is the situation of Indian textile workers one year after the start of the pandemic and the Lockdown in India? How are they affected by the Indian Labour Law Reforms which provoked a massive wave of protests? Parvathi Madappa works for the Indian labour rights organization CIVIDEP and Lea Kress for the German NGO FEMNET. In collaboration with partners in the Global North, CIVIDEP seeks to hold brands accountable for rights violations in their supply chains. For example, CIVIDEP cooperates with the civil society members of the “Textilbündnis” to improve the situation of textile workers. Due to the Corona crisis millions of workers lost their livelihood, that is why CIVIDEP started distributing relief aid and German partners have set up emergency funds. The podcast is available on different podcast platforms and on the website of Mela Wear. Mehr Details
Cambodia’s Garment Sector in Transformation: External Shocks, Political Space and Supplier Consolidation This project assesses the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and the partial withdrawal of the European Union’s Everything but Arms trade arrangement on the employment in Cambodia’s garment sector. These trade-related shocks or disruptions are inherent in the political context of Cambodia’s authoritarian shift , as the country has no functioning political opposition and independent trade union ability to promote workers’ rights has been compromised. As for the economic context, the report looks at Cambodia’s foothold in the global garment industry , which remains as an assembly platform of low value added apparel. The research addresses this de facto market specialization and the implications when considering changes in power dynamics between global buyers and manufacturers who are consolidating and transnationalizing their production networks. Mehr Details
Fashion checker Relaunch of the Fashion Checker: As new data from the Fashion Checker shows, transparency remains the key to holding fashion companies accountable when workers, trade unions and activists ask them not to leave their workers in distress and despair during the pandemic. None of the fashion companies surveyed guarantees that workers in their supply chain will receive the same wage as before during the pandemic - let alone a living wage. In addition, the data from the Fashion Checker show users the gap between a living wage and the actual wages paid in the factories. Mehr Details
Stitching our Shoes - Homeworkers in South India The report uncovers the grim reality 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
Textiles Market Situation Report 2019 The latest textiles market situation report highlights recent developments in the market for UK used textiles as well as key factors shaping the outlook for the sector. The report looks at a number of market factors affecting textiles in the UK. Mehr Details
