“Pay Your Workers” $24 m the apparel industry owes
View(s):Apparel sector trade unions have commenced a campaign “Pay Your Workers” as part of a global initiative highlighting worker problems amid the COVID-19 pandemic that activists claim Sri Lankan brands and suppliers owe workers US$24 million.
The Sri Lankan apparel sector’s suppliers and brands owe its workers US$24 million in payments calculated for the months of March, April and May of 2020, Free Trade Zone workers Trade Union General Secretary Anton Marcus told the Business Times on Friday.
He noted that this sum was calculated with figures taken for this three month period last year where workers were not paid for attendance, overtime pay and non-provision of transport due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result the trade unions have globally commenced a campaign called “Clean Clothes Campaign” demanding companies to “Pay Your Workers” that was kicked off in Sri Lanka from March 24-26 and is expected to resume in April as well.
Meanwhile, during the New Year celebrations while some apparel workers received bonus payments from their companies others were not so lucky as some were paid only half and still others none at all, Mr. Marcus said. He noted that they do not agree with this since the export of apparel in Sri Lanka was not severely impacted by the COVID-19 as they have achieved the same productivity as last year with less number of workers following lay-offs.
Worker rights activist also noted that there was a strike carried out at one of the Katunayaka Free Trade Zone factories that resulted in the establishment of a union arm within the company and it is believed that they would have received 75 per cent of their bonus payment.
Further, Mr. Marcus explained that they will be awaiting the company’s response tomorrow once work resumes to the formal notice made to the company on the formation of a trade union within the factory with the appointment of office bearers of the union committee.
Trade unions point out that during the pandemic apparel brands, traders and manufacturers in the garment industry are slashing workers’ health, job security as well as workers’ rights and making huge profits from their income.
In this respect the trade unions have requested brands and employers of the Sri Lanka apparel sector to initiate a national dialogue with the trade unions to ensure the protection of the rights, wages and health of workers in the industry. (SD)