“ILO partners with São Paulo textile sector to promote decent work”, 4 May 2017


[On 4 May]…the International Labour Organization (ILO), Brazilian Association of Textile Retail (ABVTEX), Brazilian Association of Textile Industry (Abit), Instituto C&A (the Brazilian office of C&A Foundation), Instituto Lojas Renner and Zara Brazil announced a partnership to promote decent work in the textile and apparel sector of São Paulo…[T]he initiative “Improving working conditions and management capabilities of sewing shops in São Paulo”…[to]…raise rights awareness and empower populations vulnerable that work in sewing shops, raise risks awareness and do management training for sewing shop owners (especially micro, small and medium enterprises), and build the capacities of institutions at federal, state and local levels for to develop and implement policies to improve working conditions in sewing shops, especially focusing on migrant workers. Over the past years in Brazil, more and more emphasis has been placed on dealing with these issues given the arrival of a growing number of migrants from other Latin American countries and African countries. Besides labour exploitation, the lack of proper occupational safety and health conditions is a serious problem in irregular and informal sewing shops…Click here to download the official press release from the ILO.