The Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) has signed a partnership agreement with the International Labor Organization (ILO) aimed at improving working conditions in textile factories in Faisalabad. The 3-year partnership will cover over 200 production units and includes a comprehensive framework to improve productivity through training and compliance with international labor standards. PTEA officials are

A group of 24 female garment workers were admitted to the hospital on February 24 after reportedly contracting food poisoning. Authorities believe the workers were served the bad food during breakfast at the facility. All of the workers are expected to recover. (Hiru News)   Bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh could grow 7-fold

Major ports on the West Coast of the United States have surged back to life after negotiators reached a tentative labor agreement between dockworkers and port operators. U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez recently traveled to California to assist in the negotiations which drug on through the latter half of 2014 after the previous agreement expired.

Violence and unrest continue to plague Bangladesh as political demonstrations around several major issues persist in the country. At least 5 people were injured on February 16 in Dhaka’s Gulshan-2 circle when a bomb was thrown at a crowd of people on their way to join a protest led by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan against

Over 60 workers at a factory in the Svay Rieng province collapsed on February 13 after being exposed to chemical odors and sewage fumes, according to a union leader. Witnesses say that the chemical odor was being emitted from a new protective substance being sprayed on the undergarments produced by the facility, while the sewage

The state of Gujarat is slated to become home to India’s first-ever textile university. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new diamond research facility in the state, Gujarat’s Chief Minister noted textiles are the second-largest industry in the state, after diamond production, and opened the floor for industry leaders to submit proposals for the

Fast Retailing Co., the parent company of global retailer Uniqlo, says that it is strengthening oversight of its supply chain following a report from a Hong Kong-based activist group alleging sub-standard conditions at two of its Chinese factories. The company says it will begin monitoring its textile suppliers for compliance with ethical standards and increase

Workers at a factory that was recently raided and shuttered on suspicions of labor abuse are pushing to have it reopened so that their jobs will be spared. The Yes International facility in the state of Jalisco was forced to close earlier this month after Mexican authorities rescued over 120 people, including some children, who

The Philippine Statistics Authority says that the country’s textile and apparel exports crossed the US$2 billion mark last year. Several individual sectors also posted tremendous growth in 2014, including yarn and fabric at 34.5% and apparel at 16.6%. The country could experience even greater growth this year after the European Union granted GSP+ (Generalized System

A new study says that over 2,500 garment workers in the city of Leicester are earning less than half the legal minimum wage of £6.50 per hour. The study, published by the University of Leicester, also says that many of these workers, predominantly women, don’t have employment contracts and are subjected to bullying, verbal abuse,