Ten groups plead for manufacturers’ support
23/04/2020
In the joint statement, amfori, Better Buying, Fair Labor Association, Fair Wear Foundation, ETI Norway and ETI UK, IDH, the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, Solidaridad and The IRBC Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile expressed concern about the health and livelihoods of millions of garment workers and their families.
COVID-19 has had a devastating global impact on the garment industry. Most factory workers do not earn enough to take care of themselves and their families and lack any kind of safety net to get them through this crisis.
They said: “We call upon brands, retailers, suppliers, governments, trade unions, industry associations, civil society and multilateral organisations to work together to enable factories to maintain employment relationships and make changes in the workplace in order to protect the health of garment workers
“Factories must ensure on-time payment of salaries to workers who remain actively employed. If facilities have to close temporarily, it should be a top priority of all stakeholders to support workers directly or in accessing finances to bridge this period that they cannot work. When worker retrenchment cannot be avoided due to long-term factory closure or bankruptcy, all workers should receive their full legal entitlements, including wages, benefits, and severance pay.”
The group, seven of which represent close to 2,000 garment brands and retailers, also focuses on long-term systemic change of garment supply chains, creating a new normal of fair prices and collaborative relations between retailers, brands, and suppliers, as well as social protection. “The situation offers unique momentum to establish social protection for employees, such as unemployment benefits, in a more sustainable way,” they said.
Share this story:
