“Vietnam: Garment Workers Lose Income As Covid-19 Decimates Fashion Orders”, 27 May 2020

Vietnam’s significant textile industry is battling the sudden drop in orders due to … the coronavirus, ... Vinatex, one of the largest corporations in Vietnam, says that as many as 50,000 workers could be furloughed…

“As things stand, 30% to 50% of jobs will disappear by May,” said Vinatex CEO Le Tien Truong.

Consumer demand for fashion apparel and goods have plunged across the globe … many fashion retailers have cancelled existing orders or postponed new ones.

... According to data from the country’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, orders for textiles and footwear have dropped 70% by value for April and May compared to the same period last year.

The majority of garment workers in Vietnam … earn minimum wage incomes … that they are already among some of the most vulnerable groups to be disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The failure of big fashion companies to pay its workers in its supply chain will only further taint the fashion industry … [with its] massive environmental footprint and dubious human rights practices.