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FEMNET and the Clean Clothes Campaign support Bangladeshi unions in their 23,000 Taka minimum wage hike demand

For the first time in five years, the Bangladeshi government has formed a Wage Board to revise the minimum wage for the country’s RMG sector which employs roughly 4 million workers. The current minimum wage of 8,000 taka (roughly 65 Euro) was already insufficient for a decent living when it came into force in 2019. Since then, workers had to endure the additional pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent high inflation without seeing their wages increase at all.

Category: 2023

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MIND THE GAP - Current study on the situation of women textile workers in Bangladesh.

FEMNET partner organisation investigates prevailing working conditions and wage practices in garment manufacturing, and designs a fairer wage structure.

Category: 2023

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What changes await workers, brands & suppliers in readymade garment sector: Karnataka Factories Act Amendments

In the Indian state of Karnataka, with its textile industry stronghold Bengaluru, drastic changes to an important labor law are about to be implemented. The so-called Factories Bill 2023, Karnataka Amendment replaces a previously applicable standard. Important labor law achievements such as the abolition of night shifts or the introduction of the 8-hour day are to be repealed. The amended law is intended to give suppliers more leeway to respond more flexibly to order situations. The labor rights organization Cividep expects a significant deterioration in working conditions for thousands of female employees.

Category: 2023

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First complaint case filed under German Supply Chain Act

Joined press release by FEMNET, NGWF and ECCHR

Bonn/Berlin. "10 years after Rana Plaza, there are still factories in Bangladesh producing clothes for international corporations like Amazon, IKEA or Tom Tailor, where there are hardly any safety checks. We can no longer accept this," says Amirul Haque Amin, president and co-founder of the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF).

FEMNET, ECCHR and NGWF file the first complaint on the basis of the Supply Chain Act which came into force in January 2023 with the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. The complaint is based on a research conducted in Bangladesh in March 2023 by the trade union National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF), which identified safety deficiencies such as a lack of inspections, but also other labor rights violations such as a lack of freedom of association.

Category: 2023

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#OhMyG*OSH! First issue of the G*OSH newsletter on gender-equitable occupational health and safety.

Gender equity and occupational health and safety need to be thought together, especially for textile and footwear factories where women are predominantly employed. We started implementing this with a multi-actor partnership (MAP) on gender-responsive occupational health and safety launched in December 2021. A lot has happened since then!

Category: 2023

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© FEMNET

A voice for workers

This article was originally published 10th November 2022 on the site of the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung.

Around 60 to 75 million people work in the textile and garment industry worldwide. The majority of them are women who work and live in strongly patriarchal societies such as Bangladesh or India. Supported by trade unions, only few of them dare to speak up against labour rights violations. As spaces for organised labour continue to shrink, freedom of expression is more and more trampled down.

Category: 2023

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Call for tenders for a study on minimum wages in Sindh Province in Pakistan in January and February 2023

Research on labor rights violations for potential complaints under the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LKSG)

The German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LKSG) has come into force in January 2023. It obliges companies with more than 3000 employees to exercise human rights due diligence with regards to their supply chain. In particular, the right to an adequate wage and freedom of association are protected under the law (§ 2 II No. 6, 8, 11). In this context, the German NGOs FEMNET (member of the Clean Clothes campaign) and ECCHR (the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights) are working on a project to see how the law can help to address labor rights violations in garment factories.

Category: 2023

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© FEMNET

Open Letter: Failure to comply with human rights due diligence obligations

Together with other supporters FEMNET and ECCHR address the brands TOM TAILOR, IKEA, Deichmann and Amazon today, on the anniversary of the devastating #Tazreen factory fire.

Ten years ago, on Nov. 24th, 2012, 117 people died in the Tazreen factory fire. Exactly six months later, 1,135 people died in the rubble of Rana Plaza. The "Accord for Building Safety and Fire Prevention in Bangladesh" (Bangladesh Accord) was a response to these tragedies and has been successful in preventing such tragedies in the garment industry. Yet leading companies that produce in Bangladesh have not signed the Accord to date, including: TOM TAILOR, IKEA, Deichmann and Amazo.

Category: 2022

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© Initiative Lieferkettengesetz

Inflation and its effects on the producing countries of the clothing industry

The inflation rate in Germany is currently at 10%, but also people in theproduction countries are looking to the future fearfully. Food prices have skyrocketed in many countries, while real wages are stagnating and less and less is enough to live on. In addition, the subdued consumption mood in Europe is having a noticeable impact on textile factories.

Category: 2022

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© Somo | Martje Theuws

Overtime, Surveillance and Violence - On the Current Situation in Myanmar

With the executions of four activists at the end of July, the violence of the military regime in Myanmar has reached a new, sad climax. De facto head of government, Aung San Suu Kyi, was sentenced to six more years in prison. Meanwhile, the situation of Myanmar's textile workers is becoming increasingly threatening. Raids and arrests at factories are on the rise. At the same time, labor rights are being curtailed, wages cut and unrealistic production targets set.

Category: 2022

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Rukmini Vaderapura Puttaswamy. © Regina Weidental

Indian women's rights activist Rukmini V. Puttaswamy receives prize from the Bremen Senate Chancellery

The 17th Bremen Solidarity Award was presented in 2021 to trade unionist Rukmini Puttaswamy of Munnade/GLU at the suggestion of FEMNET.

Rukmini is president of the only women-led union GLU (Garment Labour Union) in India. Rukmini is a tireless fighter and has been campaigning hard for the rights of women garment workers for many years.

For FEMNET, Rukmini and GLU are reliable project partners. Together we have already been able to achieve a lot and, for example, help in hundreds of cases of labor rights violations.

Femnet is extremely happy about this recognition for Rukmini. She and the trade union women of GLU have more than earned the 10,000 Euro prize.

In June 2022 several events will host Rukmini as key speaker and honor her for her achievements.

Category: 2022

Global support for strong European regulations - Statement from civil society and trade unions on the EU supply chain law

Together with over 220 civil society networks, individual organisations and trade unions from around the world, we are addressing the European Parliament and EU Member States with a joint statement today. Whether from India, Brazil, USA, China or Bangladesh, all the signing organisations have one thing in common: they demand a strong EU supply chain law. Only a strong EU supply chain law can effectively improve conditions for people, environment and climate along global value chains!

Joint Statement

Category: 2022

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