© FEMNET The coronavirus pandemic in Bangladesh and India: Figures give further insight into the consequences of the crisis According to estimates by the business association BGMEA, around 400,000 jobs were lost in Bangladesh's textile industry in 2020. Even after resuming production, many factories are still not working at full capacity. Granted financial aid from the EU and Germany for affected seamstresses has not yet flowed completely. In India, too, the situation remains critical. Details Published: 24 February 2021 Read more …
© FEMNET Supply Chain Law is Coming! - but with compromises The supply chain law is coming, that's for sure. A positive move, as the law can be passed before the upcoming federal election this year. As a result, companies are obliged to take responsibility for human rights and the environment. Violations should be controlled by a federal agency. If an undertaking breaches its obligations, the authority may impose fines and exclude the undertaking from public contracts. This is, after all, a step forward from the previous voluntary approaches. Details Published: 12 February 2021 Read more …
Late, the Federal Government finally presents a guide An alliance of twelve non-governmental organisations criticises the fact that the federal government is not taking binding steps to make the federal government's procurement of textiles fair and sustainable. This is because the recently published ‘Guide of the Federal Government for Sustainable Textile Procurement in the Federal Administration’ lacks the announced step-by-step plan. The federal ministries clearly missed their own target of procuring half of the textiles according to social and ecological criteria by 2020. Details Published: 05 February 2021 Read more …
© Taslima Akter Joint Front Against Exploitative Purchasing Practices - New Asian Initiative Develops Guidelines for Businesses Textile manufacturers' associations from six Asian countries have launched a joint initiative to strengthen their negotiating position for better purchasing practices vis-à-vis Western fashion brands. Because they face the same challenges - cancelled orders, arrears and discounts during the corona pandemic threaten the entire textile industry and thus lead to wage cuts and lost wages for the seamstresses. Details Published: 02 February 2021 Read more …
70 economists call for supply chain law In one 70 economists speak out in public (PDF file) for the introduction of a supply chain law in Germany. From an economics perspective, a supply chain law is necessary and feasible, according to the signatories. The project has been controversial between the coalition parties for months and is repeatedly delayed. Details Published: 14 January 2021 Read more …
2020 – Moving by far Before the FEMNET team enters the company holidays (21.12. – 02.01.), let us look back once again at a year that will echo for a long time to come. ‘2020 will be a great year ...’, with this expectant outlook we said goodbye to the Christmas and New Year’s Eve break exactly one year ago. In retrospect, the year actually appears overwhelmingBut in a sense that no one expected. The coronavirus pandemic has changed a lot. Plans became obsolete, projects stopped, changes needed. Details Published: 18 December 2020 Read more …
© Anne Bienias #PayYourWorkers – Global protests have an impact Since the beginning of the corona crisis, textile workers around the world have been protesting for the continued payment of their wages and for the preservation of their jobs. The loss of wages, even for goods already manufactured, is immense. Many companies evade their responsibility towards textile workers because they do not have to fear consequences. However, the international protests are also achieving their first successes. Details Published: 09 December 2020 Read more …
© FEMNET Active for human rights in fashion - series of events with the Autonomous Women* Unit of the University of Wuppertal How does one's own consumer behaviour or alternative economic forms influence the social coexistence of tomorrow? This question was addressed by the autonomous women's unit of the AstA together with FEMNET in a series of events. Details Published: 08 December 2020 Read more …
Report with recommendations for action to fulfil human rights due diligence despite Covid-19 crisis published Since the beginning of the crisis, this has combined the risk of COVID-19 infection with the exacerbated risk of extreme economic hardship for workers. In addition, since the beginning of the crisis, trade unions have been increasingly exposed to discrimination. In view of the economic crisis, some manufacturing countries, in particular India and Indonesia, are relying on lowering the standards of protection in their labour laws. The “Synthesis report: impact of COVID-19 on the textile industry” (PDF file) compiles concrete options for action and best practices based on a systematic analysis of existing reports. The recovery options show how companies can avoid or at least mitigate negative effects of the COVID-19 crisis on workers in the supply chain and thus comply with human rights due diligence obligations. Details Published: 19 November 2020 Read more …
Letter to Federal Labour Minister Heil – Germany must push ahead with ratification of Convention 190 In June 2019, after long years of negotiations, the International Labour Organization (ILO) finally adopted Convention 190 against Gender-Based Violence in the Workplace. So far, however, only Uruguay and Fiji have signed the convention. Details Published: 19 November 2020 Read more …
