Joint action in South-East European textile industries19 November, 2019Textile, clothing, leather and footwear industries employ more than 600,000 people in eight South-East European countries, with the proximity to major European markets providing growth opportunities. But with salaries as low as €200-400 per month in some countries, union leaders are reporting that it is difficult to attract young workers.
German supermarket Lidl joins ACT19 November, 2019By signing the ACT MoU with IndustriALL Global Union in November 2019, Lidl became the first German discounter to commit to ensuring living wages in its garment and footwear supply chain through freedom of association, collective bargaining and responsible purchasing practices.
Garment workers, suppliers and ACT brands agree on Freedom of Association Guideline15 November, 2019After eight months of negotiations, factories producing for ACT brands in Myanmar have agreed on a Myanmar Freedom of Association (FoA) Guideline with IndustriALL affiliate Industrial Workers’ Federation of Myanmar (IWFM).
IndustriALL and Inditex create a global union committee13 November, 2019Renewing the global framework agreement which dates back to 2007, IndustriALL and Inditex, one of the world’s largest clothing retailers, have agreed to set up a global union committee, with the aim of sharing best practices across the industry.
Union-made blazers for South Africa's Rugby World Cup champions6 November, 2019When South Africa beat England 32-12 in the Rugby World Cup final in Yokohama, Japan on 2 November, the 450 workers at the House of Monatic who belong to the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) celebrated a double victory — that of the Springboks and of their union’s “buy local” campaign.
Workers education conference discusses revival of textile and garment sector in Nigeria5 November, 2019Over 400 participants from the cotton, textile and garment industries including self-employed tailors and garment makers met in Abuja, 29-31 October, under the theme: Labour and industry in the next level.
Bosnia-Herzegovina unions demand living wages25 October, 2019Bosnia-Herzegovina must secure living wages and proper training for workers to ensure a skilled workforce for the manufacturing industries in the future, concluded union leaders at a seminar organized by IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union on 16-17 October in Sarajevo.
Making use of global agreements in the garment industry 3 October, 2019Over 80 trade union leaders from Turkey, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mauritius and Morocco met in Cesme, Turkey, to see how global framework agreements (GFA) can be better used to boost union organizing, collective bargaining agreements and social dialogue.
Cambodian unions demand sectoral bargaining to achieve living wages 23 September, 2019IndustriALL Global Union garment unions in Cambodia have welcomed a raise in the monthly minimum wage from US$182 to US$190 but reiterated calls for sectoral collective bargaining as a means to reach a living wage.
Next steps for the Accord4 September, 2019Representatives from the Steering Committee of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh garment employers’ association (BGMEA) have met in Dhaka to discuss the establishment of the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), as agreed in the memorandum of understanding signed between the Accord Steering Committee and the BGMEA in May this year.
