Joining forces to improve working conditions in
For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka's garment industry, representatives from global sports and leisure wear brands, trade unions, a supplier and the Ministry of Labour came together on 26 and 27 March 2011 in Katunayake to agree on how to work together to improve conditions for workers.
The meeting was organised by the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees
The FTZ&GSEU presented their concerns about working conditions to participants, based on their research in 22 garment factories producing for export and supplying a range of multinational apparel brands. Leaders of the Ceylon Mercantile Industrial & General Workers' Union (CMU) and the Textile, Garment & Clothing Trade Federation also expressed their concerns about working conditions in the industry. Discussions particularly focussed on wages, overtime, respect for the right to join and form a trade union, and freedom from discrimination.
The key outcomes of the meeting were:
Next are considering whether to write such a letter to their suppliers
Want to hear about our latest news and blogs?
Sign up now to get it straight to your inbox
To access the admin area, you will need to setup two-factor authentication (TFA).