© drip by drip ⁇ Saikat Barab Shil
“Toxic chemicals from the textile industry threaten not only the environment in Bangladesh, but also the health and livelihoods of millions of people. Through innovative community-based monitoring, those affected in our project are themselves committed to sustainable change in order to make demands on authorities and factories based on collected data. Your top priority: Clean drinking water.’
Daniela Bartsch, Head of Projects Abroad
© CIVIDEP
With the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, textile companies reduced their orders and suppliers in the producing countries stopped paying wages and dismissed workers. Two years later, most countries have relaxed or repealed measures to combat the coronavirus. How has the pandemic changed the labour and human rights situation in the Indian clothing industry?
The situation of textile workers in Bangladesh and India remains tense. Despite rising numbers of infections and a national lockdown, factories in Bangladesh remain open. Indian factories are allowed to produce again with a full workforce if they vaccinate all workers within one month. The costs for this must now be partly borne by the workers.
© payyourworkers.org
Press release of the Clean Clothes Campaign
With extensive demands on fashion companies, the #PayYourWorkers #RespectLabourRights campaign of numerous well-known NGOs and trade unions from 37 countries started today on 15.03.2021. The alliance calls on companies such as Amazon, Nike and Next to support workers who have fallen into distress through no fault of their own during the pandemic and the associated loss of income.
© FEMNET
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.
© Taslima Akter
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.
© Anne Bienias
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.
