garment workers news and archive

Bangladesh apparel industry resumes operations following unrest

Bangladesh has begun to lift restrictions imposed following last week's violent protests, allowing its crucial garment industry to resume operations. The move comes as the country faces mounting economic pressures and concerns over political stability. The government's decision to partially ease a nationwide curfew on July 24 permitted the...

Business |Interview Featured

Eleven years after Rana Plaza, where is the fashion industry in terms of transparency?

Eleven years ago today, on 24th April 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,100 garment workers and injuring more than 2,500, many of them severely. All of those deaths and injuries could have been prevented had the five garment factories housed in the building evacuated on time like the other...

Fashion Featured

Timeline: 10 years of Fashion Revolution

The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh, which housed garment factories, shook the industry - more than 1,100 workers lost their lives and around 2,500 were injured, many of them gravely. The accident, one of the deadliest disasters in the history of industrial manufacturing, shed light on an area that normally remains in...

Background

What is the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) legislation? What does it mean for the fashion industry, and what can you do to prepare?

Good news from Brussel. ‘A victory for people and the environment.’ Lara Wolters on X, tweet from March 15, 2024: “Due Diligence passed in Council! People and planet prevailed over cynicism. Thanks so much to the Belgian Presidency for all its efforts!” On Friday, March 15, the EU voted in favor of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence...

Business

3 fashion companies agree to compensate Mauritius garment workers following report

Three major fashion companies, including PVH, the parent company of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, Second Clothing, and UK-heritage brand Barbour, have agreed to pay a total of 420,593 USD in compensation to garment workers in Mauritius following the publication of an undercover investigation into labor rights abuse. Migrant garment workers at...

Fashion

Garment workers among the lowest-paid industrial workers globally

A decade after global fashion brands committed to raising garment workers' wages to a living wage, progress remains slow. In Bangladesh, where around 600,000 people work for H&M, workers earned an average of 119 dollars per month in the first half of 2023, below the 194 dollars living-wage benchmark, reported the Wall Street Journal. Advocates...

Business

Oxfam poll: Australian consumers want fashion brands to pay workers living wage

According to a recent poll by charity retailer Oxfam Australia, consumers do not trust the claims that Australian fashion brands are making in regards to the treatment of overseas garment workers in their supply chains. This comes as no surprise with the industry recording a staggering two billion dollars in expected profits on one hand and...

People

US government urges Bangladesh to reconsider minimum wage increase

The United States has urged Bangladesh to reconsider its recent decision on the minimum wage and ensure the protection of workers' rights following the death of a woman during garment labour protests. A government-appointed panel increased factory wages by 56.25 percent to 12,500 taka ( approximately 113 dollars) per month, but striking workers...

Business

What the new minimum wage means for garment workers in Bangladesh

On Tuesday, 8 November 2023, the Bangladeshi government announced the new minimum wage for garment workers: from December, they will receive 12,500 taka (around 114 US dollars) instead of the previous 8,000 taka (68 US dollars). At first glance, the increase seems to be okay, as it is up by 56 percent. However, if one compares the monthly...

Business

Why Bangladesh’s minimum wage demand of 23,000 taka is justified

Bangladesh has been in the news recently — minimum wage discussions have turned sour with enraged garment workers taking to the streets for the second week. Two workers have died and sentiments are flaring up on both sides. What is the issue? While garment workers and their unions demand a minimum wage of 23,000 Bangladeshi taka (around 209 US...

Business

Two garment workers die in latest Bangladesh minimum wage protests

With a minimum wage of only 75 US dollars (8,300 Bangladeshi taka) per month, Bangladesh has one of the lowest wages among countries that make readymade garments (RMGs). The debate about raising the minimum to what would be more of a living wage has reached a boiling point, with tens of thousands of garment workers clashing with police in...

Fashion

H&M says it will ‘phase out’ sourcing from Myanmar suppliers

H&M has decided to cease its garment production in Myanmar amid concerns about labour abuses in its supplier factories. The company announced its intention to gradually phase out operations in the country, following the lead of other retailers like Inditex, Primark, and M&S, which have also disengaged due to ongoing reports of mistreatment....