First, in January, when the transportation of raw materials from China to other garment producing countries was suspended, many factories were forced to close temporarily. The next wave hit as the pandemic spread to Europe and the United States (US). In response to a sudden drop in consumer demand for apparel, brands cancelled and refused to pay for shipments of completed and in production orders. As a result, factories were forced to close and dismiss workers in mass. Each time factories were forced to close, workers were often sent home without notice or pay from their employers. For example, in Bangladesh, 72.4% of furloughed and 80.4% of dismissed workers were sent home unpaid in March 2020. The third wave of devastation continues, as the virus itself spreads in garment producing countries. At the time of writing this report, many factories remain closed and millions of workers remain unpaid.
Authors: Livia Wagner, Thi Hoang The policy brief was originally posted here on GI-TOC website, as part of its #CovidCrimeWatch initiative. The coronavirus is not only claiming hundreds of thousands of lives, but is also causing a global econo...Read More
This policy brief presents findings from a rapid assessment conducted to assess the multi-faceted impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on RMG sector workers in India and Bangladesh. The research has an emphasis on the increased risk of forced labor amon...Read More
According to the 2017 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery published by Alliance 8.7, 40.3 million people were estimated to be victim of modern slavery in 2016. Modern slavery is not defined in law and it is used as an umbrella term to refer to ‘sit...Read More
This brief aims to advise Thai suppliers and global brands and retailers, and inform a broader audience, regarding the impact of workforce reductions on foreign migrant workers in Thailand, especially MoU workers hired through the formal recruitment...Read More
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