Fair Wear Foundation releases guidance on responsible human rights due diligence practices to protect garment workers during COVID-19
"COVID-19: impact on brands and workers in garment supply chains", 26 March 2020
The COVID-19 outbreak has an enormous impact on garment brands and their supply chains... While brands and retailers are closing shops and are struggling to keep... afloat, on the other end of the supply chain, workers are being subjected to massive layoffs...
Most garment workers face a double threat – to their lives and livelihoods... Workers’ wages should be paid their full regular wage during work stoppages... In the absence of legal requirements, brands, local NGOs and unions should work together with suppliers to provide support to workers...
If a factory remains open, the employers should take extra measures to ensure ventilation, adequate spacing between workstations, hygienic work floors and toilets, appropriate hand-washing facilities, breaks and facemasks...
Suppliers should provide a mechanism to address questions from workers. Workers must have access to a trade union or worker representation to collectively respond to measures or to raise issues...
[B]rands should not make decisions that significantly impact the businesses and workers in their supply chain without proper discussion and negotiation with their suppliers...