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Surge in Garment Industry Transparency: Laws Needed to Ensure Companies Adopt Human Rights Practices
(New York, December 18, 2019) – Clothing and footwear brands and retailers have dramatically increased their disclosure of information about their supply chains in the past three years, a coalition of unions, human rights groups, and labor rights advocates said in a joint report released today. In 2016, the coalition created the Transparency Pledge, a…
Despite progress gender-based violence and harassment is still a reality for global garment workers
By Rola Abimourched – Today marks the end of this year’s “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence” campaign. Since its inception in the 1990s, feminist organisations, activists, and courageous individuals have tirelessly foregrounded women’s experiences of violence in their homes, communities, and workplaces. Beyond raising awareness, organisations and individuals have used these sixteen days…
Largest Sum Ever: WRC recovers US$4.5 Million in unpaid severance
In the fall of 2019, two thousand Indonesian workers received what the WRC believes to be the largest amount workers have won in a single case of illegally denied severance. On July 2, 2018, the management of PT Kahoindah Citragarment (Kahoindah), an Indonesian garment factory owned by the Korean firm Hojeon LLC, had announced that…
Lesotho garment workers struck landmark deals to tackle gender-based violence. Here’s how it happened.
By Rola Abimourched, Libakiso Matlho, Thusoana Ntlama & Robin Runge – Gender-based violence and harassment, including sexual harassment in the world of work, are among the most pervasive human rights violations and most effective tools at preventing gender equality. Female garment workers—who are the majority of the global garment workforce—are systematically targeted and experience the…
Leading apparel brands, trade unions, and women’s rights organizations sign binding agreements to combat gender-based violence and harassment at key supplier’s factories in Lesotho
Maseru, Lesotho; Washington, D.C. (August 15, 2019): Civil society groups, an international apparel manufacturer, and three global brands have agreed to launch a comprehensive pilot program intended to prevent gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in garment factories in Lesotho employing more than 10,000 workers. Five Lesotho-based trade unions and women’s rights organizations, as well as…
“Organized theft on a massive scale”: the reality of severance theft in Indonesia
Abruptly and without warning, the Indonesian garment company Jaba Garmindo shut down operations at its two factories in April of 2015, leaving over 4,000 workers without their legally mandated severance. The sudden departure reflects a consistent trend within garment factories around the globe; in response to intense market pressure to cut production costs, many factories…
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EXCLUSIVE: Fanatics, Nike Back Binding Agreement to Fight Workplace Sexual Violence in Indonesia
Sourcing Journal
WRC in the Media
Decades after Nike promised sweatshop reforms, workers in this factory were still fainting
The Oregonian
Nike Relents on Thai Wage Theft Case, Albeit With ‘Deficiencies’ in Plan
Sourcing Journal
Inside the campaign to disrupt the REI board elections
The Real News Network
Bangladeshi Factory Safety Monitor Admits Work is ‘Not Without Its Challenges’
Sourcing Journal
Workwear company compensates sacked Haitian workers
Ecotextile News
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Challenging the Status Quo: Helping Workers Protect their Associational Rights in Myanmar
Freedom of association is a fundamental and critical right allowing workers to collectively demand better working conditions. Yet factory management around the world often deny workers this right, illegally terminating union leaders, and sometimes employing violence to quell union organizing. Buyers at the top of the supply chain generally fail to detect such violations or…