CHENNAI - Millions of home-based garment workers in India are at risk of missing out on support to compensate for the loss of their livelihoods during the coronavirus lockdown, according to workers' rights campaigners.Many factories in India sub-contract part of their production to home workers who are often unregistered and have no right to a minimum wage, social security or healthcare from employers.India has pledged a US$23 billion package to provide food and cash to millions of its poore

Fashion giant H&M said on Tuesday it is working with other companies to support garment workers in Bangladesh, where more than 2 million have been hit by factory closures as coronavirus lockdowns hit orders.Millions of people in impoverished Bangladesh rely on the garment industry to feed their families and the cancellation of an estimated $3 billion in orders is hitting them hard.Union leaders said most of the workers they had spoken to had been temporarily laid off or sent on paid leave, a

In a statement, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) informed that already 761 factories have paid wages to their workers and the factories maintained fantastic hygiene protocol during salary disbursements.They paid earlier than the BGMEA requested timeline of 16 April.BGMEA President Rubana Huq said, “The roads are locked and banks are not fully operational. Owners are having difficulties as well.”As per the Bangladesh Bank Circular- 07 dated 2/4/20, factories are

Mall spaces had suffered greatly during the lockdown in China but as the country returns to somewhat normalcy, retailers and mall owners are looking to get back on track as soon as possible.Image Courtesy: capitaland.comSingaporean mall developers CapitaLand have reopened all the malls situated in the country. Even its four locations located in Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic, opened their doors to business on 2 April after receiving the all clear from local authority.However, the malls in

Ever since Gerber Technology has formed PPE Task Force, it is doing commendable job to empower manufacturers to deal with PPE shortfall amidst COVID-19 outspread.Image Source: www.ddw-online.comTwo recent joiners to this Task Force are Coats, an industrial thread leader, and Elevate Textiles, a global provider of advanced, high-quality products and mission critical textile solutions.As a part of this collaboration, Coats, using its extensive network of apparel manufacturers and industry leaders,

As the consumers do not intend to spend on the non-essential items in which fashion and apparel tops the list, business in these segments has almost frozen.Image Courtesy: Business Strategy HubThe retailers including the likes of Nordstrom assess that if the stores stay closed for much long, its financial situation could become distressed.Nordstrom has witnessed a substantial blow on its business due to the lockdowns owing to Coronavirus pandemic. Similarly, the results for quarter ending 2 May

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber through finished products, issued a statement from NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas today in response to the administration’s plan to institute a 90-day deferral on MFN tariffs, as reported by numerous press outlets.The reported plan being pushed by the importing and retailing industries would defer certain tariffs, including those on finished apparel products. It is an ill-advised pol

According to a new report, Smart Textiles Market - Forecasts from 2020 to 2025, the smart textiles market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.89% over the forecast period to reach a total market size of US$24.327 billion by 2025 increasing from US$5.306 billion in 2019.Factors said to be driving the demand for smart textiles are, large scale proliferation of nanotechnology, declining manufacturing costs of electronics and fabrics, a growing number of a millennial, surge in disposable income, inc

HUGO BOSS, a leading German luxury fashion house, has declared to take decisive action against COVID-19 by dedicating its clothing production site to the manufacturing of face masks.The production site is located at HUGO BOSS’s global headquarters in Metzingen, Germany and it will produce around 180,000 masks in the coming weeks.The decision has come at a time when Coronavirus pandemic has certainly become a disrupter in the industries across the world and, amidst this, HUGO BOSS is dedicating i

As the pandemic continues to grip USA more than any other nation, the list of companies furloughing employees is growing longer, raising concerns over unemployment if the outbreak is not controlled in the near future.Image Courtesy: jrni.comTJX Companies Inc., the parent entity of T.J. Maxx and Marshall, one of America’s biggest clothing store chains, has made the tough decision to furlough most of its workforce at stores and distribution centres.With all the outlets being closed at the moment,