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Report: Major buyers failed to ensure workers’ wages amid pandemic

Country: Bangladesh
Issues: Covid-19, Wage Theft

K.P. Textil

Country: Guatemala
Issues: Covid-19, Health & Safety Violations

The WRC investigated a May 2020 outbreak of Covid-19 at K.P. Textil that resulted in one-third of the factory’s employees contracting the virus and, unfortunately, led to the death of one worker.  Following the WRC’s engagement with factory buyers AEO Inc. and Gap, Inc., these buyers confirmed that factory management took appropriate remedial action with…

WRC Case Brief: K.P. Textil (Guatemala)

Country: Guatemala
Issues: Covid-19, Health & Safety Violations

To: WRC Affiliate Universities and Colleges From: Scott Nova, Tara Mathur, and Ben Hensler Date: June 25, 2021 Re: WRC Case Brief: K.P. Textil (Guatemala) This is a brief summary of the WRC’s engagement with American Eagle Outfitters (AEO, Inc.), the parent company of the university licensee, Tailgate, and the retailer, Gap, Inc., following an…

Industry response to pandemic fuels forced labour risk

Country: Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Myanmar
Issues: Covid-19, Forced Labor

Industrie du vêtement La détresse des travailleurs exacerbée par la pandémie

Country: Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Myanmar
Issues: Covid-19, Forced Labor

Pandemic Has Increased Risk of Forced Labour in Garment Industry, Study Finds

Country: Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Myanmar
Issues: Covid-19, Forced Labor

The Unequal Impacts of Covid-19 on Global Garment Supply Chains

Country: Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Myanmar
Issues: Covid-19, Forced Labor

This report documents deteriorating living and working conditions for workers in garment supply chains, including a surge in vulnerability to forced labour, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

We find that garment workers’ labour and living conditions have severely worsened during the pandemic and workers are experiencing severe economic hardship and labour abuse. Across all four of our case study countries, workers have experienced sharp declines in earnings and working conditions, including increased vulnerability to key indicators of forced labour. These dynamics are evident for workers who have remained in the same jobs with no change in their employment status, as well for those who have had their contracts terminated amidst the pandemic and found new jobs; which have often involved worse working conditions and lower pay compared to their pre-pandemic employment. These patterns varied across case study country; individual level factors such as age, gender, race and ethnicity, union affiliation, migration and employment status; and commercial dynamics in supply chains.