Solidarity Center Report: Two Takes on the Global Garment Industry

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)A new report examines the recent tragic garment factory fires in Bangladesh and Pakistan. It points out that workers’ lack of freedom to form unions and bargain collectively to improve working conditions was behind both deadly environments, where faulty machinery, poor safety procedures and unsafe buildings contributed to massive worker deaths. In Peru, six global apparel brands took the unusual step of advocating for an end to short-term work contracts—which are used by employers around the world to deny workers job security, seniority rights and health benefits. Read more at the Solidarity Center.