Corona Virus: Trade Unions Appeal To The Textile Industry To Take Responsibility For Supply Chains

The textile industry in production countries like Indonesia and Vietnam is feeling the effects of the Corona crisis. Production is being halted and factories are closing their doors. CNV and FNV have sent a letter to the members of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile, appealing to them to keep workers in production countries in mind as they make decisions and respond to the virus.

The letter of 16 March was sent to the members of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile, a coalition of companies and organisations working against unjust situations, such as exploitation, animal abuse, or environmental harm, in the garment and textile industry.

Consequences for textile factory workers

In their letter, the trade unions ask the agreement members to consider the following:

“Remember that the Corona virus impacts people around the world. As a company or an individual here, but also in most production countries. If measures need to be implemented, don’t forget the consequences these will have on your supply chain, especially the potentially enormous impact they will have on workers in textile factories. We would like to urge the agreement members to engage in dialogue with suppliers during this time of crisis. Take a position of solidarity, still keeping in mind  the long term consequences for production.“