16 January, 2025The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare the vulnerabilities faced by workers, especially in the garment sector, which was among the hardest hit. As production lines slowed and jobs disappeared, millions were left without a safety net. The crisis underscored an urgent need for robust social protection for workers worldwide.
Highly globalized with millions of employees worldwide, the textile and garment sectors are a large source of precarious employment in the developing world. The sector is composed predominantly of low paid workers who are mostly young women and internal migrants working on short-term contracts.
A change is needed, including an urgent need for social protection for garment workers. The current model, where severance is the only form of social protection, led to wage theft during the pandemic.
By social protection, we mean protective measures that are part of a worker’s basic rights and that underpin a robust and more equitable workplace.
Among others, those measures include:
- unemployment insurance
- sick pay
- social security
- severance pay
In 2022, Bangladesh’ ministry of labour and employment launched a pilot for an employment injury scheme in collaboration with the International Labour Organization, covering the country’s four million ready-made garment workers. It is a social protection scheme which includes compensation for medical treatment and rehabilitation services, as well as income loss caused by occupational injuries and disease.
Says Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile and garment director:
“Unions, governments and brands all have a key role in ensuring social protection. From securing fair wages and safe working conditions to building long-term sustainability, collective action is the key to progress.”