“ACT brands commit to responsible business practices in Bangladesh”, 31 March 2020

In the majority of garment factories in Bangladesh, workers are yet to receive their due payments for March. Union leaders in the IBC stress that workers are vulnerable, as many factories are closing over fears of the virus outbreak, and in some cases laying off workers.

…907 million pieces of apparel worth US$2.87 billion have been cancelled or suspended by brands and buyers that source from Bangladesh. This has a direct impact on the 2.09 million workers in the country’s textile industry.

The majority of the stores of the ACT brands, inlcuding H&M, Inditex, PVH, C&A, Primark, Next, Lidl, Tesco, Tchibo and others, are closed in Europe and North America, leading to liquidity crisis.

However, most agree in principle to pay for completed orders, and are discussing various incentive and stimulus packages for suppliers to ensure workers are paid.