Dona i migrada, l'abús en la indústria del tèxtil (Campanya Roba Neta [Catalunya]):
La indústria del tèxtil de països com l'Índia ha vist en les migracions internes entre països del sud, amb desenes de milers de persones buscant oportunitats laborals que no existeixen al seu paÍs d'origen, i que cada cop són més nombroses, l'oportunitat perfecta per aprofitar-se'n. Amb la promesa d'un sou i unes condicions laborals que no són reals, les treballadores són enganyades i obligades a treballar de forma continuada i sense cap mena de seguretat o higiene.
AixÍ ho explica el nou estudi Treball sense Llibertat. Treballadores migrades a la indústria tèxtil de Bangalore, que posa en relleu com aquesta tendència està a l'alça, i més arran de la crisi econòmica.

Panel hears horror tales of women’s death in textile factories (The Times of India):
Horrid tales of deaths of women in textile mills kept members of Tamil Nadu State Women’s Commission on the edge of their seats at a public hearing.
“They found my daughter’s dead body inside the mill. When we questioned, we were told that she committed suicide due to love failure. The local police did not even file an FIR to probe,” said Puniyanathan, father of 18-year-old Vanaja, who was found hanging inside a sewing mill in Rasipalayam, where she worked a year ago.

United dolors of Benetton (Left | L'unico giornale di sinistra):
Ora che è morto, dopo una lunga malattia, a 77 anni, sembra quasi sia lui la quarantaquattresima vittima del Ponte Morandi. Invece, Gilberto Benetton, il primo dei quattro fratelli di Treviso, era a capo, vicepresidente, di Edizione, la holding di famiglia, che controlla Atlantia, che controlla a sua volta Autostrade.
....
Nonostante si dichiarino almeno diciottenni, molte di loro sembrano molto più giovaniป, si legge nel report 2018 Lavoro senza Libertà, curato dall’organizzazione per i diritti umani India committee of the Netherlands, la Clean clothes campaign e il sindacato femminile di Bangalore Garment Labour union.

Situation Bangladesh Accord has Agreement's attention (SER):
The Supreme Court of Bangladesh recently ruled that the office of the Bangladesh Accord must cease operating in Bangladesh after 30 November. The parties and businesses participating in the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile consider this a worrisome development.

It’s a strict hostel life for these garment workers (The Hindu):
In hostels, where hundreds of women working in garment factories stay, there is a sense of an inescapable prison-like atmosphere. Vehicles ferry them to their workplaces, and when they are dropped back there are rules that prohibit them from going out (even on holidays).

The Fashion Industry Is Considered One Of The Biggest Contributors To Modern Slavery (Essence):
If you’ve ever wondered where your clothing is made or how it’s produced, this shocking new report will certainly make you ponder. According to a new report by the Walk Free Foundation, the fashion industry is the second-largest sector, after technology, to support modern slavery practices.

Breves - Esforços internacionais não travam abusos (Portugal Têxtil):
Os esforços internacionais para tornar mais fácil para os trabalhadores da indústria de vestuário da Índia apresentarem queixa contra o assédio sexual, condições de trabalho perigosas e abusos diversos estão a falhar.
....
Mas o trabalho forçado, o assédio sexual e a repressão sindical não estão a ser devidamente abordados, afirmam os grupos holandeses India Committee of the Netherlands e o Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations.

Initiatives Failing to Stop Indian Labor Abuses, Activists Say (VOA News)/
Global initiatives failing to stop labour abuses in India, activists say (Thomas Reuters Foundation - Jun 27, 2018)/
Global initiatives failing to stop labor abuses in India, activists say (Reuters - Jun 27, 2018)/
Global Initiatives Failing to Stop Labor Abuses in India, Activists Say (Jakarta Globe - Jun 28, 2018):
International efforts to make it easier for garment workers in India to speak out against sexual harassment, dangerous working conditions and abuses are failing, campaigners said Tuesday.
The U.S.-based certifying agency Social Accountability International (SAI) and Britain's Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) — an alliance of unions, firms and charities — are not enforcing procedures they set up to protect workers, they said.
....
But forced labor, sexual harassment and repression of unions is not being properly addressed, Dutch advocacy groups India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) said last week.

Problems persist in South Indian textile industry (press release SOMO/ICN):
Social Accountability International (SAI) – a social certification organisation for factories and organisations, and the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) – an alliance of companies, trade unions and voluntary organisations working to improve the lives of workers – have failed to deliver on promises to deal effectively with concrete complaints about abusive labour conditions for girls and young women in the textile and garment industry in South India.
Read the new report Case Closed, Problems Persist by three NGOs: the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and UK-based HomeWorkers Worldwide (HWW).

Falsche Versprechen, verweigerte Rechte: Kleiderherstellung in Bangalore (Südasien):
Dass die Herstellung von Bekleidung und Gebrauchsgütern in (Süd-)Asien im Geruch ausbeuterischer Arbeitsverhältnisse und rechtloser Zustände vor Ort steht, ist nichts Neues. Die sklavereiähnlichen Arbeits- und Lebensbedingungen in Spinnereien oder indischen Granitsteinbrüchen sind ebenfalls nicht unbekannt. Wenn scheinbar nichts Neues, warum dann ein weiterer Text? Grundsätzlich lohnt es immer, sich über die Voraussetzungen des Konsums in unseren Breitengraden Klarheit zu verschaffen. Darüber hinaus scheint dieses Konsum- und Produktionsmodell zusehends perfider ausgestaltet zu werden. Damit große Bekleidungsmarken ihren Wettbewerb zu billigsten Preisen ausfechten k๖nnen, müssen die eigentlichen Produzent(inn)en immer stärker ausgepresst, die Ausbeutungshierarchien ins Bodenlose verlängert werden – wie das nachfolgende Beispiel zeigt.

Tamil Nadu government plans resource centre to ‘track’ migrant workers (The Times of India):
Under fire from various international organisations for failing to monitor the working conditions of migrant women labourers in Tamil Nadu’s bristling textile hubs, the state government is mulling over setting up a resource centre that would track the movement of this vulnerable section and resolve their grievances.
...
In December 2016, India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), an independent human rights organisation, released a research report titled – Fabric of Slavery, that indicted the textile spinning mills in Tamil Nadu of practising what the ILO defines as ‘forced labour’.

Slavery in garment industry (Dalit Post, p3):
Modern slavery is still the barrier for the workers in India. Luxury fashion retailer Hugo Boss said it has found cases of forced labor, a form of modern slavery, in its supply chain. Young female workers have been held captive behind the walls of garment factories in southern India and prevented from leaving the premises at any time.
Hugo Boss, which raised concerns about the free movement of resident mill workers in its 2016 sustainability report, said it has been working to resolve the issue with local suppliers.

Il lavoro senza libertà nell’industria tessile dell’India (AltreEconomica.it):
Vivono in condizioni di “schiavitù moderna” le donne migranti impiegate nell’industria tessile di Bangalore, in India. È quanto emerge dal nuovo report Labour Without Liberty. Female Migrant Workers in Bangalore’s Garment Industry (“Lavoro senza libertà. Le lavoratrici migranti nell’industria dell’abbigliamento di Bangalore”), curato dall’organizzazione per i diritti umani India Committee of the Netherlands, che ha sede a Utrecht, la Clean Clothes Campaign e il sindacato femminile di Bangalore Garment Labour Union.

Workers confined in Indian mills supplying Hugo Boss (Fibre2Fashion.com):
Modern slavery is still the barrier for the workers in India. Luxury fashion retailer Hugo Boss said it has found cases of forced labor, a form of modern slavery, in its supply chain. Young female workers have been held captive behind the walls of garment factories in southern India and prevented from leaving the premises at any time.
....
A recent survey of 743 spinning mills across the region, carried out by the India Committee of the Netherlands, a human rights organization dedicated to improving the lives of marginalized people in south Asia, found more than half of the mills were illegally restricting the free movement of resident workers.

False Promises and Mobility Restrictions Plague Migrant Workers in Bengaluru’s Garment Industry (The Wire):
Language barriers, poor living conditions, restrictions on movement and low pay, often below the minimum wage, are some of the problems plaguing migrant workers in Bengaluru’s garment factories, a new report states. Migrant workers, the study has found, are often treated worse than local workers in these factories.
In January 2016, the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation, released a report titled ‘Unfree and Unfair’ focusing on the dismal housing conditions offered to migrant workers in garment factories. Two years later, they went back to see what things are like now – and despite promises made by the major international companies supplying from Bengaluru’s factories in question, not much seems to have changed.
This year’s study, conducted by the ICN in collaboration with the Garment Labour Union, Bangalore and titled Labour Without Liberty, was based on interviews with 63 female workers at three companies manufacturing clothes in Bengaluru. The companies were suppliers for brands including Abercrombie & Fitch, Benetton, C&A, Columbia Sportswear, Decathlon, Gap (Old Navy and Banana Republic), H&M, Levi Strauss and Co. (Levi), Marks & Spencer (M&S) and PVH (Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein).

Modern slavery uncovered in India's garment sector (Just-Style.com):
Female migrants are being exploited by garment factories in India supplying to international fashion brands such as Benetton, Gap Inc, and Levi Strauss, a new report claims, with many subjected to conditions of modern slavery.
The conclusions from the Labour Without Liberty - Female Migrant Workers in Bangalore's Garment Industry report, published by the Indian Garment Labour Union, the India Committee of the Netherlands and Clean Clothes Campaign, highlights the pressure for low wages facing garment factories.

New report: False promises and restriction of movement in production for Western garment brands (press release ICN/CCC/Garment Labour Union):
Female migrants employed in India’s garment factories supplying to big international brands like Benetton, C&A, GAP, H&M, Levi’s, M&S and PVH, are subject to conditions of modern slavery.

Indian garment factories found "keeping women captive" (Just-Style.com):
Indian garment suppliers for large brands including Hugo Boss, Mothercare, Debenhams and Primark have been enforcing slave labour by holding female workers captive, an investigation has found.
German fashion brand Hugo Boss highlighted an instance of forced labour it had identified at a finished goods supplier in India in its 2016 sustainability report, where it said employees were prevented from leaving the company's premises at any time.
After the audit, the retailer said an action plan was defined in order to resolve the situation immediately, which it said it was monitoring "very closely."
An investigation by The Guardian investigation the report found that Best Corporation, located in Tamil Nadu and used by Hugo Boss, also supplies garments to high-street brands including Next and Mothercare.

Hugo Boss Accused of Forced Labor in India (TriplePundit):
When one thinks of forced labor and other human rights violations within the global apparel industry, fast fashion brands and big box retailers usually come to mind, especially in the wake of the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh.
But according to a recent report on The Guardian, evidence of worker confinement has been found in the supply chain of luxury fashion retailer Hugo Boss.
...
One NGO, India Committee of the Netherlands, reported a year ago that various forms of human rights abuses at factories, including forced labor and child slavery, were found in over 90 percent of spinning mills across the country’s southern region.

Workers held captive in Indian mills supplying Hugo Boss (The Guardian):
Luxury fashion retailer Hugo Boss said it has found cases of forced labour, a form of modern slavery, in its supply chain. Young female workers have been held captive behind the walls of garment factories in southern India and prevented from leaving the premises at any time.
...
A recent survey of 743 spinning mills across the region, carried out by the India Committee of the Netherlands, a human rights organisation dedicated to improving the lives of marginalised people in south Asia, found more than half of the mills were illegally restricting the free movement of resident workers.

Gästarbetare hålls fångna i Hugo Boss-fabriker i Indien (Dagens Nyheter):
Flera fall av tvångsarbete har upptäckts i en av Hugo Boss fabriker i södra Indien. Unga kvinnliga gästarbetare tvingas stanna i lokalerna och hindras från att lämna fabrikerna.
...
Nyligen granskade människorättsorganisationen India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) 743 klädesfabriker i Indien. Granskningen visar att fler än hälften av fabriksägarna bröt mot lagen när arbetsgivarna begränsade den fria rörligheten för gästarbetarna.

Mill worker deaths fuels employment concerns in India garment sector (Reuters)/
Mill worker deaths fuels employment concerns in India garment sector (The Business Times):
The death of a 21-year-old woman working in a garment factory in south India has reignited concerns among rights campaigners over the working conditions of low-paid textile workers in the multi-billion dollar industry.

UK businesses unite to tackle slavery information (Knitting Industry):
Eight of the most influential business leaders in the UK have joined together to spearhead industry action to drive out slavery from supply chains.
...
The workforce in this industry is highly vulnerable, often made up of young girls, who are lured to work in a spinning mill with a promise of accommodation and a lump sum, which can be used for their dowry. In practice, this lump sum is made up of withheld wages, and used as a means to bind workers to the mill. Known as a Sumangali scheme, this practice of bonded labour was found in 351 out of 743 mills in Tamil Nadu in 2016, according to a report by India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

India slammed for slavery, we need to counter: IB to Govt (Indian Express):
It underlined that the US government funded the 2017 report which estimated 40 million slaves in the world, including 25 million in the Asia-Pacific.
Warning that “global documentation on slavery is increasingly targeting India as home to the highest number of slaves in the world,” the Intelligence Bureau in a “secret” note has recommended a strong campaign to “discredit” the information and a diplomatic offensive against it. The Bureau submitted its note to, among others, the Prime Minister’s Office, National Security Advisor, the MEA, the Ministry of Labour and R&AW last week.

Forced Labor and Child Trafficking in India’s Garment (The Asia Foundation):
The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that 168 million children worldwide are considered child laborers. This means that almost 11 percent of the world’s children are working, which interferes with their ability to get an education, and jeopardizes their safety and their ability to experience childhood. The largest number of laborers in the 5 to 17-year-old age group is still found in the Asia-Pacific region.
...
A study by the India Committee of the Netherlands suggests that almost half a million children—the majority of them girls from Dalit (low caste) and Adivasi (tribal) families—work on cotton-seed farms.

Photo essay: How TN textile mills force girls into bonded labour to 'earn dowry' (The News Minute):
The banned ‘Sumangali Scheme’ still thrives in Tamil Nadu, albeit under new names.
...
A recent report from “India Committee of the Netherlands, December 2016” clearly states that in 351 out of 743 mills, Sumangali is still around. Moral policing, constant surveillance, gender segregation and lack of mobility are in fact offered as perks to families by brokers when they are trying sell employment in mills.

Over 300 textile units in India enter agreement with Netherlands on fair wages, sustainable environment (The Times of India):
Rajasthan is known across the world for the variety of its textile traditions its tie-and-dye and block printing. However, since the 1990s, concerns have been raised that the water-starved state was encouraging dyeing units at huge risk to groundwater and natural water sources. Pali, Jodhpur and Balotra towns, where textile units are concentrated, have been in the news for the massive pollution of water sources and the trouble residents face in getting safe drinking water. Now, under the initiative of the government of Netherlands, a huge importer of fabrics and also a champion of labour and environment issues, over 300 textile and garment units in India have agreed transition to production practices that ensure safety and well-being of workers and protection of the environment.

Need to expand Bangladesh Accord (Knitting Industry):
A legal notice has sought the arrest of the owner and top managers of Multifabs, a circular knitting and knitted garments manufacturer, after a tragic boiler explosion killed several people in its Gazipur garment factory this week. The news comes days after a number of fashion brands signed a new Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, after meeting in Amsterdam last week.

Dutch sustainable sourcing pact maps suppliers (Just-Style.vom):
A Dutch agreement on international responsible business conduct in the global garment and textile sector, says it is a step closer to responsible garment production after revealing participating businesses will state which factories produce their clothing for the first time.
Launched last year by a coalition of parties, and led by the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER), the Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector agreement works to improve labour rights and worker conditions.

Spinning on empty stomachs in India’s textile hub (Eco-Business.com):
India’s textile industry, which produces yarn, fabric and garments for high-end brands, has girls working in spinning mills who go ‘very tired and hungry’ for roughly $85 a month salary.

‘Locals have become too aware of their rights’: Why Bengaluru garment factories are hiring migrants (scroll.in):
The fashion industry’s requirements for cheaper and faster labour have prompted companies to focus on rural India.

For Bengaluru’s garment hub workers, the minimum wage is actually the maximum wage (scroll.in):
From April 2016 to January 2017, apparel exports grew by 4.5%. But the narrative that the cost of labour is squeezing the industry is a constant refrain.

The Bengaluru garment workers who stitched your branded clothes have probably still not been paid (scroll.in):
Small strikes over unpaid wages continue to erupt in garment hub that saw massive protests last year.

Kindersklaverei als Geschäftsmodell: Zwangsarbeit in Indiens Spinnereien (Südasien)
Nicht zum ersten Mal berichtet Südasien über Formen der Zwangsarbeit oder Leibeigenschaft in Südasien. Entgegen dem häufigen Eindruck, es handele sich um überkommene, vormoderne Formen der Ausbeutung lassen die folgenden Ausführungen wie auch andere Artikel in diesem Heft den Schluss zu: Zwangsarbeit und Sklaverei gehören zum Geschäftsmodell des modernen, in den Weltraum strebenden Indien dazu. Es handelt sich nicht um letzte Reste einer archaischen Wirtschaft, sondern das Modell gebiert wie andere Geschäftszweige den Wohlstand des Landes. Wir wollen differenzieren: überwiegend in Wirtschaftszweigen, die ihren Erlös wesentlich aus der billigen Handarbeit schöpfen. Der im Dezember 2016 veröffentlichte Bericht der NGO India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) zum Thema Kindersklaverei belegt dies augenscheinlich.

Big fashion brands pull out of Bangladesh garment summit over worker rights concerns (Eco-Business.com):
H&M, Inditex, C&A, Next and Tchibo pulled out of a major garment industry event in a move that underscores growing international concern over the deterioration of labour rights in the Bangladesh garment industry.

10,000 signatures for living wage handed over to Minister Ploumen: Consumer fed up with starvation wages in garment industry (press release CCC/ICN):
Thousands of Dutch consumers want Minister Ploumen [of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation] to provide a living wage for garment workers. Through a petition of Clean Clothes Campaign and the India Committee of the Netherlands 10,734 Dutch people call on Ploumen to do so.

Indian textile firms fail to investigate abuse complaints - activists (Thomson Reuters Foundation):
Women facing sexual harassment in India's garment industry have no place to turn as textile companies are shirking their legal duty to investigate abuse allegations, activists said on Thursday. Big textile companies are legally required to form committees to look into sexual harassment complaints but the vast majority haven't done so, according to campaigners.

Slave to Fashion (University Observer):
Benjamin Jordan looks into the ethical grey area of high street clothing.
...
A report by labour rights NGO India Committee of the Netherlands in January 2016 highlighted appalling conditions for living, where factories provide hostels to workers in Bangalore, in Southern India. Arvind, a supplier of popular high street store H&M, were shown to be housing 220 male workers in a three storied-hostel. Seventy workers were staying on each floor.

Garment brands contribute to low wages & child labour in Bangladesh (Stop Child Labour):
The average worker in the Bangladeshi garment industry is getting paid only one third of what is considered to be a living wage. Low wages and long working hours have been found to play a key role in parents’ decisions to take their children out of school and let them work in various jobs. Many international garment brands, including but not only H&M, C&A, Esprit, Marks & Spencer, GAP, VF Corporation and Kmart Australia, contribute to this situation.
These are important findings of the report Branded Childhood that is published by Stop Child Labour and SOMO today.

Bangladesh’s Children Are Working 60 Hours a Week to Make Our “Fast Fashion” (Ecouterre):
It’s time to face the awful truth: Those cheap clothes we can’t get enough are probably the handiwork of impoverished children from Bangladesh, some as young as 6. About a third of the children who live in the slums of the capital of Dhaka spend an average of 64 hours a week making clothing for the world’s leading brands and retailers, according to the Overseas Development Institute. The London-based think tank, which conducted a survey of 2,700 households, found that 32 percent of 10- to 14-year-olds were skipping school so they could work full time at garment factories. Most of them earned less than $2 a day. “Our survey raises serious concerns over the issue of child labor in the supply of garments from factories in Bangladesh to consumers in Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere,” ODI said.

No Sexual Harassment - The fight against sexual violence at work (ICN):
Brochure of the India Committee of the Netherlands and Mondiaal FNV on sexual violence at work. Published on the occasion of a meeting of international experts - mainly women - from Bangladesh, India, Argentina, Tanzania, Myanmar, Indonesia and the Netherlands.

Slavery in Yarn Industry (Dalit Post, p1):
Ending caste slavery, with Sumangali workers as a case in view, was a key topic at a UN side-event on Caste and Gender-Based Forced and Bonded Labor where the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery addressed the linkages between caste, gender and slavery..

Scale of child slavery in spinning mills "shocking" (Dalit Post, p4):
Various forms of slavery, including child labour, are present in more than 90 percent of south India’s spinning mills which produce yarn for Western brands, researchers said, calling for mapping of supply chains and tougher audits.
The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation, spoke to workers from almost half the mills in Tamil Nadu, the largest producer of cotton yarn in the country.

The warp and weft of exploitation (The Hindu):
Women lured by the Sumangali scheme to work in textile mills endure harassment, exploitation and even sexual abuse.
...
The recently-released Fabric of Slavery report of the India Committee of Netherlands (ICN) gives expression to the exploitation in the mills through facts and percentages. The report, based on a study in 743 spinning mills in Dindigul, Tirupur, Namakkal, and Erode districts, says: “Young women workers face intimidation, sexually coloured remarks and harassment, which they can hardly escape.” The study was conducted between July and December 2015. Eight researchers and 40 volunteers interviewed 2,286 workers from these mills and held focus group discussions.

Brands urged to tackle child slavery in India spinning mills (Just-Style.com):
Various forms of modern slavery, including child slavery, have been found in around 90% of spinning mills in South India producing yarn that makes its way into garment factories in India, Bangladesh and China supplying western brands and retailers, a new report claims.
The Fabric of Slavery research by the India Committee of Netherlands (ICN), found the majority of women working in the 743 spinning mills investigated in Tamil Nadu were aged between 14 and 18 years. Around 10-20% of the women were younger than 14.

India Committee of the Netherlands research finds large-scale violations in Indian spinning mills (The Freedom Fund):
A new report – Fabric of Slavery – published by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) exposes the scale of human rights violations against girls and young women in spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, South India. Although the textile industry is vital for jobs and the local economy, this new research finds that abuses amounting to forms of modern slavery such as withholding wages, lack of freedom of movement, excessive working hours, and sexual harassment are widespread.

Fabric of Slavery: Large-scale child slavery in Indian spinning mills making yarn for international garment brands (press release ICN):
New research by the India Committee of Netherlands (ICN) shows that various forms of modern slavery, including child slavery, are found in more than 90% of the spinning mills in South India. These spinning mills produce yarn for India, Bangladeshi and Chinese garment factories that produce for the Western market.

How Bonded Labor Fuels India’s Garment Industry (TriplePundit.com):
India’s garment industry is a $100 billion powerhouse, with $40 billion worth of textiles and garments exported annually. It is the country’s second largest sector after agriculture, employing at least 45 million workers directly, it and contributes to the economic livelihood of at least another 60 million Indians.

Dutch retailers underpaying Indian workers (news.com.au):
Dutch fashion retailers are paying "starvation wages" at factories in a major hub for the global garment industry in southern India, forcing many workers into crippling debt, a report shows. "Workers cannot properly support their families with this wage," said the report, co-authored by Clean Clothes Campaign, the India Committee of the Netherlands, Asia Floor Wage Alliance and Cividep India.

Garment workers of Karnataka, TN not getting even ‘living wage’: study (The Hindu BusinessLine)/
Garment workers of Karnataka, TN not getting even ‘living wage’: study (Karnataka.IndiaEveryday)/
Garment workers of Karnataka, TN not getting even ‘living wage’: study (News Letter Citi India - Oct 5, 2016):
More than one-third of workers, a majority of them women, in some factories in South India that produce clothing for Dutch brands, such as C&A, Coolcat, G-Star, McGregor, MEXX, Scotch & Soda, Suitsupply, The Sting and WE Fashion, are not being paid the official minimum wage leave alone a ‘living’ wage, says a new study.
In fact, none of the garment workers in 10 factories located in Karnataka (Peenya and Bommassandra) and Tamil Nadu earns a living wage, and women workers get paid lower than men doing the same work, says the study, Doing Dutch – Research into the State of Pay for Workers in Garment Factories in India working for Dutch fashion brands.

Marcas holandesas acusadas de explorar trabalhadores (Portugal Têxtil):
Os retalhistas holandeses estão a pagar “salários de miséria” nas fábricas de um dos principais centros de produção mundial de vestuário no sul da Índia, forçando muitos trabalhadores a contraírem dívidas. A afirmação é do estudo Doing Dutch, realizado por quatro organizações não-governamentais (Clean Clothes Campaign, India Committee of the Netherlands, Asia Floor Wage Alliance e Cividep India), que inquiriram trabalhadores em 10 unidades de produção de vestuário em Bangalore e arredores, que concluiu que cada um leva para casa, em média, 90 euros e que 70% está endividado.

Raport: holenderskie firmy odzieżowe płacą w Indiach "głodowe pensje" (biznes.onet.pl):
Holenderskie firmy odzieżowe, szyjące ubrania pod znanymi markami w fabrykach w południowych Indiach, płacą pracownikom "głodowe pensje", zmuszając wielu z nich do wyniszczającego zadłużania się - głosi opublikowany we wtorek raport.

C&A Statement on Clean Clothes Campaign / ICN Report "Doing Dutch" (C-and-A.com):
C&A appreciates that Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has shared the draft report entitled “Doing Dutch” upfront and engaged us regarding our position and perspective on a variety of issues relating to Bangalore. We value CCCs input and insight and view it as a support and complement to our ongoing efforts towards the improvement of worker’s rights in our sourcing countries.
C&A has been in multiple conversations with CCC and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) regarding this topic and we have provided a formal response to the report in May 2016.

Raport: holenderskie firmy odzieżowe płacą w Indiach "głodowe pensje" (money.pl)/
Raport: holenderskie firmy odzieżowe płacą w Indiach "głodowe pensje" (onet.biznes):
Holenderskie firmy odzieżowe, szyjące ubrania pod znanymi markami w fabrykach w południowych Indiach, płacą pracownikom "głodowe pensje", zmuszając wielu z nich do wyniszczającego zadłużania się - głosi opublikowany we wtorek raport.

Dutch petition: Workers exploited, shun garments made in India (The Times of India)/
Dutch petition: Workers exploited, shun garments made in India (indian364):
The living wage for workers in India is Euro 256 (about Rs19,000). A recent interview of workers at garment factories that were manufacturing for sales in the Netherlands found that more than a third of workers were paid less than 100 euros (about Rs7,500).
The survey results were published in the report Doing Dutch: Research into the state of pay for workers in garment factories in India working for Dutch fashion brands. Human rights organization India Committee of the Netherlands has now begun a petition in Dutch appealing to people to buy only clothes that are not produced by exploiting poor labourers.
"Most workers cannot properly support their families with this wage. Food and housing, usually a one-room apartment without water tap, with a shared toilet outdoors, are the biggest expenses. Almost everyone would like to buy healthier and more varied food, but is unable to do that because of low wages," said a press release issued on Tuesday by Gerard Oonk, director, India Committee of the Netherlands.

Le sourcing indien des marques sous le feu des critiques (Fashion Network):
Un rapport largement relayé venant des Pays-Bas lance la polémique autour d'enseignes et marques payant des ซ salaires de misère ป dans les usines d'un centre de confection textile situé dans le sud de l'Inde, forçant de nombreux travailleurs à accumuler les dettes.
Les ouvriers interrogés, qui travaillent dans 10 usines de la région de Bangalore, dans le sud de l'Inde, sont rémunérés 90 euros par mois en moyenne, et 70 % d'entre eux sont endettés, selon les conclusions du rapport, écrit par quatre organisations à but non lucratif.
Les usines en question fournissent des marques néerlandaises qui ont ซ reconnu l'importance d'un salaire décent ป. Parmi ces dernières, Coolcat, The Sting, Mexx Europe, McGregor Fashion, Scotch & Soda, Suitsupply, WE Fashion et C&A. La Fondation C&A s'est associée avec la Fondation Thomson Reuters pour combattre l'esclavage et la traite des personnes.

Dutch Retailers Paying “Starvation Wages” to Indian Textile Workers (Newsweek Middle East)/
Dutch retailers paying "starvation wages" to Indian textile workers - report (Thomson Reuters Foundation)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers: report (Reuters)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers (Gulf Digital News)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers (Fashion Network)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers: report (FirstPost.com)/
Dutch retailers paying "starvation wages" to Indian textile workers - report (Mail Online)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers - report (Yahoo! News)/
Dutch retailers paying "starvation wages" to Indian textile staff – report – India F1 information (Serendipitous Panda)/
Dutch retailers paying ‘starvation wages’ (Arab Times - Sep 28, 2016)/
Dutch retailers profitable "starvation wages" to Indian weave workers (Samanta News - Sep 28, 2016)/
India: Dutch retailers paying starvation wages to Indian textile workers (All Of Textiles - Sep 28, 2016)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers - report (Channel News Asia - Sep 28, 2016)/
Dutch brands pay ‘starvation wages’ to Indian garment workers: Report (Apparel Resources - Sep 28, 2016):
Dutch fashion retailers are paying "starvation wages" at factories in a major hub for the global garment industry in southern India, forcing many workers into crippling debt, a report on Tuesday showed.
Workers surveyed at 10 garment factories in and around Bengaluru in the southern Indian state of Karnataka took home on average 90 euros ($100) a month, and 70 percent were in debt, the report by four non-profit organizations said.
The factories were supplying Dutch brands that have "acknowledged the importance of living wages".
They included Coolcat, G-Star, The Sting, MEXX Europe, McGregor Fashions, Scotch & Soda, Suitsupply, WE Fashion and C&A. The C&A Foundation partners with the Thomson Reuters Foundation on trafficking and slavery coverage.
"Workers cannot properly support their families with this wage," said the report, Doing Dutch, co-authored by Clean Clothes Campaign, the India Committee of the Netherlands, Asia Floor Wage Alliance and Cividep India.

Dutch companies producing garments in India often pay less than minimum wage: Study (TwoCircles.net):
The working conditions in factories in India that produce for Dutch clothing brands are downright bad. No garment worker earns a living wage. More than one third of the workers not even get the official minimum wage. Mandatory overtime is often not paid, intimidation is widespread and women earn even less than men. Also, some factories do not take care of social insurances and medical expenses. That, and more, emerges from the study Doing Dutch – Research into the state of pay for workers in garment factories in India working for Dutch fashion brands published today by the (Dutch) Clean Clothes Campaign and the India Committee of the Netherlands.
The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) is a human rights organisation dedicated to improving the lives of the marginalized in South Asia by giving information, awareness raising, advocacy, lobby, networking, research and publicity.

Doing Dutch: New report into pay of garment workers making clothes for Dutch brands (HomeWorkers Worldwide):
A new report, published by India Committee of the Netherlands and the Clean Clothes Campaign, has exposed the low pay and poor working conditions in factories in India that produce for European clothing brands.

Dutch media focuses on abuses in the Indian textile sector (SOMO):
Indian textile workers make clothing in harrowing conditions for clothing chain stores such as C&A and H&M. The workers are barely permitted to leave the factory site, are paid more than a quarter of their wages only after three years, and there are no trade unions. These findings were published by the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant in early September, after a visit, together with SOMO, to the textile factory KPR Mill. Other Dutch and Belgian newspapers, television and radio also showed interest in the story. Dutch political parties submitted written questions about this issue in Parliament. H&M and C&A both responded in the press.

Charity targets spinning mills in India, Bangladesh to end slavery in fashion industry (Eco-Business.com):
After the Rana Plaza tragedy, safety projects focused on farmers growing cotton or factory workers stitching clothes, but few work with the spinning mills in the middle of the supply chain.

Invitation to meeting Violence against women in the workplace worldwide (ICN/Mondiaal FNV):
What do women in the garment factories in Asia, Africa and Latin America have to endure with regard to sexual and other violence at work? How do they oppose it and how can we support them?
Sexual and other violence against women in garment factories in India, Bangladesh but also in countries in Africa and Latin America is a very big problem. The extent and severity of the problem became painfully clear in a recent study on garment factories in the Indian city of Bangalore. This report showed that one out of seven female workers in garment factories in Bangalore is forced into sexual acts and that one out of fourteen encounters physical violence in the workplace.

Human rights groups target spinning mills in India, Bangladesh as pressure points in fight against modern slavery (South China Morning Post):
Thousands of women are kept in bonded labour in spinning mills in southern India, where they have been lured from their homes with promise of work.
One of the most effective ways to curb forced labour in the garment industry is to target cotton spinning mills, where workers can provide valuable information about the source of material in the fashion supply chain, an anti-slavery charity said on Friday.

The Bitter Truth About Your Favorite Fast Fashion Brands (Affinity):
I’m going to be completely honest with you: I like fast fashion. Actually, I love fast fashion. I’ve spent copious amounts of my spare time going through websites of some of the most common fast fashion brands, gushing over some of the clothes and accessories they have to offer. For a while I tried turning a blind eye to what I knew were ethical issues that existed well within many of the brands. Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?
...
Continuing the streak, earlier this year in January the India Committee of the Netherlands released a report detailing ‘appalling living conditions’ and ‘restricted freedom of movement’ for young migrant workers in Bangalore, India.
...

Why India Has So Many Slaves (Asia Society):
The issue of slavery has not dominated international headlines for decades, but that doesn't mean the practice no longer exists: Roughly 46 million people — the equivalent to Spain's total population — around the world live in slavery, a fact that challenges perceptions of progress in human rights.

European deal on textile industry sustainability (fibre2fashion.com):
The Foreign Trade Association (FTA), the leading business association of European and international commerce promoting the values of international trade and sustainable supply chains, signed the Statement of Support for the Dutch Garment and Textiles agreement on Monday.

75 firms sign up to Dutch sustainable sourcing pact (Just-Style.com):
A Dutch agreement on international responsible business conduct in the global garment and textile sector, aimed at improving labour rights and worker conditions, has been signed by around 75 companies and endorsed by the Foreign Trade Association (FTA). The Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector agreement, which was initially formed in March, has now been signed by businesses representing more than one-third of the revenue generated in the Dutch market. The aim is for at least 50% of the Dutch garment and textile sector to sign the agreement by 2018, and 80% by 2020.

FTA Endorses Dutch Garment And Textiles Agreement (Sourcing Journal):
The European and international commerce business association on Monday signed a “statement of support” for the Dutch Garment and Textiles Agreement, to promote trade values and sustainable supply chains. To date, 55 companies have pledged to the agreement, which includes more than 20 FTA Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) participants.
“The agreement is an important example of how multisector collaboration between business and stakeholders can lead to even more effective and committed improvements in global supply chains,” FTA director general Christian Ewert said. “However, while FTA welcomes such national projects, we believe that these initiatives should not lose sight of the broader EU goal of creating a global approach that provides a common framework and avoids duplication of standards and fragmentation.”

Stop Child Labour signs Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector Covenant (Stop Child Labour):
Stop Child Labour signed a Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector Covenant today, together with 55 businesses, their trade organisations, the Dutch government and several other NGOs. A broad coalition has joined forces in this agreement. It is the first time, in the Netherlands and worldwide, that such a large group of companies has committed themselves to work together towards a more sustainable garment and textile industry.

75 signatures endorse Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector agreement (SER):
This morning, 55 businesses, their representative organisations VGT, Modint and INretail, Solidaridad, UNICEF Netherlands, the India Committee of the Netherlands, the Stop Child Labour Coalition, Four Paws Netherlands, Dutch trade unions FNV and CNV and the National Government of the Netherlands signed the Agreement on a Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector. This is the first in a series of agreements on international responsible business conduct that aim to improve the sustainability of international production and supply chains.

India: Eliminating violence against women at work (Sisters for Change):
A new report released on 25 June by Sisters For Change and Munnade has found that 1 in 7 women workers in garment factories in Bangalore has been forced either to commit a sexual act or to have sexual intercourse and 1 in 14 has experienced physical violence in the workplace.

One in seven women in Bengaluru garment factories face sexual violence, report says (Eco-Business.com):
An estimated 500,000 workers work in and around Bengaluru, a major hub for the garment industry in south India.
One in every seven women working in the garment industry in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru have been raped or forced into a sexual act at work, said a report released on Saturday.
Violence, intimidation, unwanted sexual attention, being forced to watch pornography, being punched, choked and burnt are part of the daily abuse faced by women employees in Bengaluru’s 1,200 garment factories which supply many global brands.

With Organic Cotton and Online Ads, Boll & Branch Helps Indian Farmer (The New York Times)/
With organic cotton and online ads, Boll & Branch helps Indian farmers (The Economic Times - Jun 18, 2016):
When Scott and Missy Tannen were putting the final touches on their home renovation in Summit, N.J., a few years ago, they embarked on a seemingly pedestrian chore: choosing sheets for their new king bed.
...
It does not get much better further along the supply chain. According to a recent report by the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations, a Dutch nonprofit organization, and the India Committee of the Netherlands, forced labor, child labor and poor working conditions are common in Indian garment factories.

Textile sector still in knots over child labour (The Hindu):
Textile units in Tamil Nadu have grabbed headlines several times in the past for the wrong reasons. Non-governmental organisations, including international organisations, have alleged that child workers are employed in many textile mills and that some units that employ young women do not provide adequate facilities for those who stay in hostels within the mill premises.

Childhood murderers (My Republica):
Have you ever even thought of the child exploitation behind some of the foreign brand garments you wear?
The theme of The World Day Against Child Labour 2016 (June 12) is precise and to the point: "End child labour in supply chains—It’s everyone’s business!"

Walmart, Gap supplier factory workers exploited in India (Rediff):
Some workers in India were also make to work on Sundays and national holidays "in sweltering heat, without adequate supply of clean drinking water or any breaks".

Rampant abuse in Tamil Nadu's spinning mills: study (Deutsche Welle):
Thousands of poor girls and young women in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu are being exploited by spinning mills, a recent study claims. Deutsche Welle takes a look at the harsh working conditions they face.

Made by Children (All About Lady Things):
Quantas vezes não ouvimos dizer aos nossos miúdos "Come a sopa toda, há meninos no mundo que não têm o que comer!", "Estás a queixar-te porque não te dou o que queres? Há meninos que não têm nada e não se queixam!" , "Há meninos da tua idade que já trabalham! Sabias??" e, porra, isto é dito com tamanha leviandade que passou de informação chocante a pregão nacional.
...
Segundo a SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations) e a ICN (India Committee of the Netherlands) os inúmeros empregadores inescrupulosos prometem às famílias que proporcionarão às suas crianças educação, refeições e melhores condições de vida o que não corresponde de todo às condições de escravatura às quais sujeitam as crianças.

NGOs at it again! Findings of ‘Unfree and Unfair’ on living conditions of migratory workers in Bangalore raise questions on credibility of such reports (Apparel Resources):
Apparel Online was surprised to see a report Unfree and Unfair recently, wherein the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), an independent NGO has made some serious allegations against India’s top exporters in Bangalore that run hostel facilities for their workers. On the base of desk research and interviews with 110 migrant workers from rural Karnataka and other states like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, employed at four garment factories – Shahi Exports, Texport Industries, Arvind Ltd., and K Mohan in Bangalore, the ICN claims that garment workers still face serious issues like poor living conditions and has restricted freedom of movement despite stated commitments on the part of big brands to address these problems. Ironically, the very lopsided report with no discussion or clarification from the company owners in a positive feedback, admits that the wages at all the four factories are slightly above the minimum wage rate fixed by the State Government.

Low wages, poor housing and now EPF: Garment workers’ protest in Bengaluru was inevitable (Firstpost):
The garment workers' violent stir in the beginning of this week in Bengaluru may have died down, with the central government withdrawing the provident fund amendment, but what is apparent is that this was one protest that was just waiting to happen.
...
Meanwhile, let’s not lose heart. It’s not as though no action is taking place. The Economic Times reported in March this year that Indian firms who supply apparel, even if it is to foreign brands such as Gap, H&M and Marks & Spencer, will now be scrutinised for unfair trade practices. This decision was taken after a consortium of international agencies, including Unicef, Stop Child Labour and Solidaridad, signed an agreement on this issue.
This agreement was in response to a paper published by The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) in January 2016. Titled Unfree and Unfair, the paper highlighted how young migrant garment workers live in appalling conditions. Unfree and Unfair studied the conditions for migrant workers in four garment factories – K Mohan, Texport Industries, Arvind Ltd Exports and Shahi Exports.

Fear and clothing in Bengaluru (Bangalore Mirror):
Varalakshmi BS, 20, was agitated when we spoke to her on Monday. She had just been shooed away by cops for sitting outside the regional PF office in Singasandra. She was part of a group of garment factory workers protesting against the amendment to the Provident Fund Act, which now prevented them from withdrawing the employer's contribution towards their PF corpus till the age of 58.
...
The industry manufactures apparel for some of the world's leading clothing brands. Yet the conditions under which young migrant women work are appalling, sometimes even amounting to modern-day slavery, says a study by human rights organisation, India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

Garment workers' stir continues in Bengaluru, traffic hit for second day (The Hindu):
For the second day in a row, protests against recent amendments to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) continued in Bengaluru and its suburbs on Tuesday, affecting vehicular movement.

Chaos reigns in East Bengaluru (Bangalore Mirror):
Chaos reigned supreme in the south eastern belt of the city for a large part of Monday when 15,000-20,000 garment factory workers from various unions staged a protest against the revised central government notification regarding their provident fund and blocked three-quarters of Hosur Road for over six hours.

Sweatshops for sweatshirts (Bangalore Mirror):
Leading multinational brands told researchers that more work needs to be done in order to provide them with better living conditions.
"Most of the leading multinational brands like GAP, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Inditex (ZARA) and C&A source from Bengaluru. According to official figures, there are 962 officially registered garment factories. However, it is estimated that there are around 1,200 garment factories in total in and around Bengaluru. The industry manufactures apparel for some of the world's leading clothing brands. Yet the conditions under which these young migrant women work are appalling, sometimes even amounting to modern day slavery," says the study by human rights organisation, India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

The Netherlands establishes Textile Covenant (Made-By):
The Dutch government, along with a group of trade organisations and NGOs, announced a textile covenant on the 9th of March 2016. The aim of the covenant is to prevent child labour and improve poor working conditions and low wages in textile producing countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Turkey.

India: Exploitation concerns after death of a teenage girl at a textile mill (The National):
An investigation into the death of a teenage girl working in a spinning mill in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has raised fresh concerns over the working conditions of textile workers, especially those trapped in bonded labour.

For better social fabric, apparel makers under global eye (The Economic Times):
Indian apparel suppliers including those catering to global brands such as Gap, H&M and Marks & Spencer will now be monitored for unfair trade practices, following the signing of an agreement by a consortium of international agencies including the UNICEF, Stop Child Labour and Solidaridad.

Dutch coalition commits to responsible garment production (Just-Style.com):
A coalition of Dutch industry organisations and the Dutch government has pledged to tackle issues such as working conditions, wages and environmental pollution within the garment and textile supply chain in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Turkey.

Broad support for plan to eliminate child labour from the garment and textile industry (Stop Child Labour):
Stop Child Labour welcomes the broad support for the elimination of child labour, forced (child) labour, low wages and other abuses in the global garment and textile industry. Sector associations, the government, trade unions and civil society organizations - including Stop Child Labour – have agreed on a ‘covenant’ to address these issues in the coming years.

ILO asks Indian Government to react to statement by ITUC on forced labour in textile industry (ICN):
ILO’s Committee of Experts on the Application on Conventions and Recommendations has requested the Indian government to react to observations by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Garment Labour Union (GLU) about forced labour and other labour rights violations in the textile industry in Tamil Nadu affecting a large number of young women employed in spinning mills.

Top apparel brands promise better India worker living condition (GlobalSources.com):
In response to a recently published report by human and labor rights group India Committee of the Netherlands or ICN entitled Unfree and Unfair that highlights the poor living conditions and restricted freedom of young migrant women workers in Bangalore, five global brands have pledged swift action to improve the workers' plight. The companies, namely C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap, all source products from factories in the area.
Bangalore is the capital city of Karnataka state and among the leading garment hubs in India. It is home to approximately 1,200 apparel suppliers, about a quarter of which is unregistered. While the majority of workers come from within the state, an estimated 10 percent of employees arrive from neighboring states or even farther away, making differences in language and customs a big challenge.

Labour in the twenty-first century (The Hindu):
As the NDA government leans towards industrialists by scripting reforms that would legalise and expand contract labour, the big question is: do India’s trade unions have it in them to resist this imminent legislative blitz?
.....
To cite just one example, as reported by the NGO, the India Committee of the Netherlands, 80 per cent of the garment workers in Bengaluru toil in sweatshop conditions. They Make-in-India for reputed global brands such as Gap, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger and Zara — without ever being employees of Gap, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger or Zara. This kind of employment will become the legal norm for India’s workers when the proposed amendments become law.
.....

India: C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap pledge to improve garment workers' living conditions (FashionUnited.com)/
India: C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap pledge to improve garment workers' living conditions (FashionUnited.in):
In response to the report Unfree and Unfair, published by the human and labor rights organisation India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) in January 2016, five international buyers - C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap - responded extensively to the draft sent to them and pledged to improve the living conditions of garment workers at their suppliers' factories in Bangalore, India, a garment hub that leading multinational brands are sourcing from. Specifically, the report criticises the poor living conditions and restricted freedom of movement of young female migrant garment workers in Bangalore.

C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH & Gap versprechen bessere Bedingungen für Bekleidungsarbeiter (FashionUnited.de)/
C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH & Gap versprechen bessere Bedingungen für Bekleidungsarbeiter (FashionUnited.ch):
Als Reaktion auf den Bericht Unfree and Unfair, veröffentlicht von der Menschen- und Arbeitsrechtsorganisation India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) im Januar 2016, haben sich fünf internationale Auftraggeber - C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH und Gap - verpflichtet, die Lebensbedingungen der Bekleidungsarbeiter ihrer Zulieferfabriken in Bangalore, Indien, zu verbessern, einem Produktionszentrum im Süden Indiens für führende internationale Marken und Einzelhändler. Der Bericht bemängelt besonders die schlechten Lebensbedingungen und beschränkte Bewegungsfreiheit junger Wanderarbeiterinnen in Bangalore.

H&M kritiseras i rapport (Lag & Rätt):
H&M är en av flera klädtillverkare som kritiseras i en ny rapport om mänskliga rättigheter.
Rapporten med titeln Unfree and unfair har skrivits av den holländska organisationen The India Committee of the Netherlands och pekar ut levnadsförhållanden och frihetsbegränsningar för migrantarbetande kvinnliga textilarbetare i den indiska staden Bangalore som inte lever upp till gällande lagstiftning.

India: Study reports appalling living conditions of migrant garment workers, brands respond (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre):
The paper Unfree and Unfair gives evidence of appalling living conditions and restricted freedom of movement of young migrant garment workers in the Indian city of Bangalore. An increasing number of young migrant women workers are staying in factory-owned hostels with poor living conditions while their movement is severely restricted. The wages of the workers do not add up to a decent living wage. The hostels are run by garment factories in Bangalore that produce for leading multinational brands like C&A, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Inditex and GAP.
Please note that the press release & the paer have been updated considering statement issued by Gap Inc folllowing miscommunication between Gap & authors of the report.

C&A, H&M, Inditex and PVH will ‘take serious action’ regarding garment workers’ conditions (MyGreenPod):
The paper Unfree and Unfair – published by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – gives evidence of the appalling living conditions and restricted freedom of movement of young migrant garment workers in the Indian city of Bangalore.
An increasing number of young migrant women workers are staying in factory-owned hostels with poor living conditions and severely restricted movement. The wages of the workers do not add up to a decent living wage.

The dark side of Bengaluru's garment factories (Fibre2Fashion.com)/
The dark side of Bengaluru's garment factories (Manufacturing Mirror - Feb 7, 2016)/
The dark side of Bengaluru's garment factories (BigNewsNetwork.com - Feb 7, 2016):
In a damning indictment of the apparel industry, a paper published by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation dedicated to improving the lives of the marginalized in South Asia, says young migrant garment workers in Bengaluru live in appalling conditions and face restricted movement.

Arbeitsbedingungen in indischen Textilfabriken katastrophal wie eh und je (Facing Finance):
2012 beschrieb ein Bericht von Somo und dem India Committe of the Netherlands (ICN) die Arbeitsbedingungen in indischen Textilfabriken im Staat Tamil Nadu (Maid in India). Schon damals wurde deutlich, wie katastrophal die Bedingungen für die Arbeiterinnen waren, viele von ihnen junge Frauen aus unteren Kasten.
ICN hat nun auch Fabriken in Bangalore untersucht und auch dort die Arbeitsbedingungen dokumentiert. Der Bericht Unfree and Unfair zeigt erneut, wie desolat es um die Arbeits- und Lebensbedingungen für die in der indischen Textilindustrie Beschäftigten bestellt ist.

Working Conditions in Indian textile factories (Facing Finance):
In 2012 a report by Somo and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) described working conditions in Indian textile factories in the state of Tamil Nadu1. At this stage it was clear how catastrophic the conditions for workers were, many of them young women from lower castes.

Fashion brands pledge action for workers in India (Just-Style.com):
Four major fashion brands have pledged to take serious action to remedy what has been alleged as "appalling living conditions" and "restricted freedom of movement" for apparel workers in Bangalore, India.

‘Unfree and Unfair’ Report Prompts Brand Commitments to Improve Labor Conditions (SustainableBrands.com)/
‘Unfree and Unfair’ Report Prompts Brand Commitments to Improve Labor Conditions (EnvironmentGuru.com)/
'Unfree and Unfair' Report Prompts Brand Commitments to Improve Labor Conditions (Fashion-Victim-net - Feb 3, 2016):
A new report has revealed yet more unfair treatment of garment factory workers. Labor conditions in the apparel industry are an ongoing struggle even for brands with substantial purchasing power. Since the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in April 2013, dozens of brands and industry organizations have committed to various approaches to ensuring worker safety and improving wages, but progress has been slow and conditions remain largely untenable.
Bangalore, India is a major hub for the apparel industry and a city where up to 80 percent of garment workers are believed to be migrant workers. Migrant workers are particularly vulnerable to unfair treatment since they often do not speak the local language and rely on company-provided accommodations. A recent investigation targeted four garment factories in Bangalore – suppliers of GAP, H&M, C&A, and Inditex, the parent company of Zara – and found that the factory-owned hostels provided inadequate living conditions and restricted freedom of movement.
The paper Unfree and Unfair, released in January by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), includes a collection of evidence from a mix of desk research, interviews with over 110 factory workers, and interviews with members of the Garment Labour Union (GLU) in Bangalore.

Nightmare Hostels for Those Who Make in India (The Wire):
The condition of garment factory workers is under scrutiny once again. The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation, has released a report, Unfree and Unfair, that brings out the appalling treatment of migrant workers coming to work in Bangalore’s garment factories, with a focus on housing. Based on 110 interviews in four factories – K Mohan, Texport Industries, Arvind and Shahi Exports – the report brings out shocking realities about the living conditions of Bangalore’s migrant labour. While this is not the first report of its kind, it has prompted a response from the international companies these factories cater to.

Trade-Commerce Tactics in the Neo-Liberal Era - Unseen side of Social Compliance Audit in the Textile/Garment Industry as a Factor (panancherynews.com):
With the advent of the neo-liberal economic policies and the norms of World Trade Organization, the corporate world gets strengthened ever than before. At this juncture, there is a prevailing reality that the corporate world exploits the human resources across the world. However, they (read global brands) are very keen to cover up that reality by initiating the Social Compliance Audit, a new trade-commerce strategy in the era of neo-liberal economic policies.

Global apparel brands to help Bengaluru workers (Fibre2Fashion.com):
After a damning report by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a Dutch non-governmental group, highlighting appalling living conditions, low wages and lack of freedom of movement of workers in garment factories in Bengaluru, clothing majors such as H&M, Inditex, C&A and PVH have committed to improving the lives of workers in the city.

Wszyscy o nich słyszeliśmy, ale wolimy o nich nie wiedzieć (antykruchosc.blox.pl):
Prawdopodobnie wielkie cywilizacje muszą się żywić pracą niewolniczą, aby trwać w świetności. Tak było w przypadku starożytnej Grecji, gdzie Ateńczycy mogli uprawiać demokrację i filozofię, gdyż pracowali na nich niewolnicy. [....] Nawiązując do najnowszego raportu organizacji pozarządowej, zajmującej się prawami pracowniczymi - India Committee of the Netherlands – warunki egzystencji w przyzakładowych hostelach urągają jakimkolwiek standardom.

New report shows mistreatment of garment workers by familiar brands (Grist):
Unless you purchase all your garments handmade from Etsy, your artfully distressed culottes were probably mass-produced somewhere in Asia. (And also, even if you’re buying exclusively on Etsy, your clothes could still very well be made in China.) It’s no secret that the working conditions of garment workers in developing nations — and even some industrialized ones — are bad, but a new report by the NGO India Committee of the Netherlands illustrates just how abysmal they can be.

Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Reuters.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (The Times of India)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (nvs24.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Business Standard)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (SmartInvestor.in)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (DailyHunt)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (News.Trust.org)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (InvestmentGuruIndia.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (ETRetail.com [The Economic Times])/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (FashionMag.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (ShareWise)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (ShareNet)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Yahoo! Finance UK & Ireland)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Yahoo! Maktoob News)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (MyInforms.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Sajatya.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (canmua.net)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Daily Mail)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bangalore workers (The Himalayan Times)/
Global Apparel Brands Pledge To Improve Lives Of Bengaluru Workers (BusinessWorld.in)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Sify.com)/
Global Apparel Brands Pledge to Improve Conditions for Bengaluru Workers (Sudan Vision)/
Global brands pledge to better workers' conditions (Gulf Times - Jan 30, 2016)/
'Improve living conditions' (Arab Times - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for workers (Middle East North Africa Financial Network - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for workers (Arab News - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Tula Today - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Market Watch - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (FirstPost.com - Jan 30, 2016)/
Clothing firms vow better conditions (Taipei Times - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to better conditions for Bengaluru workers (Dhaka Tribune - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands initiate to better conditions for Bengaluru workers (RMG Bangladesh - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to better conditions for Bengaluru workers (New Age - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to better conditions for Bengaluru workers (The Goan EveryDay - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (The Daily Star - Jan 31, 2016)/
Global apparel brands (Pakistan & Gulf Economist - Feb 1, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Eco-Business.com - Feb 2, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Vastuullisuusuutiset.fi - Feb 2, 2016)/
Apparel brands to improve conditions of Bengaluru workers (The Asian Age - Feb 3, 2016):
Clothing companies H&M, Inditex, C&A and PVH have committed to improving the lives of workers in Bengaluru, after a report said employees lived in appalling conditions and were denied decent wages and freedom of movement.
Gap Inc., which also sources apparel from Bengaluru, did not respond to the report by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), according to a statement by the Dutch non-governmental group late on Thursday. A draft of the report, Unfree and Unfair, was presented to the companies last November.
The conditions of garment workers in South Asia have come under sharp scrutiny following the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, in which 1,135 workers were killed, many of them employed by suppliers to Western retailers.

Global Brands Vow to Improve Conditions in Bengaluru Sweatshops (The Quint):
Clothing companies such as H&M, Inditex, C&A and PVH have committed to improving the lives of workers in India’s southern city of Bengaluru.
A report compiled by India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), revealed that employees working for such companies lived in appalling conditions and were denied decent wages and freedom of movement.

Global clothing brands vow to improve Bengaluru workers’ living conditions (scroll.in):
Global clothing companies that own brands such as Zara, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein have vowed to improve the lives of workers employed in Bengaluru garment factories, after a report exposed the terrible conditions they live in and their low wages. The clothing companies said they will coordinate with local trade unions to provide training and address the grievances of the workers, reported Reuters.

H&M, Inditex and PVH pledge to improve conditions at Indian factories (Fashionista):
On Thursday, the India Committee of the Netherlands released Unfree and Unfair, a paper detailing the "appalling living conditions and restricted freedom" of migrant garment workers in Bangalore.

“We cannot talk about it”: Factory workers for major fashion labels live confined by guards (Quartz)/
“We cannot talk about it”: Factory workers for major fashion labels live confined by guards (Snapzu.com):
Up to 80% of garment workers in Bangalore, India, are believed to be migrant workers. Many don’t speak the local language and struggle to find housing, so garment factories fill the gap by offering company accommodations. The only catch: Some residents are treated like prisoners.
According to a new report by labor rights NGO India Committee of the Netherlands, conditions inside factory “hostels” can be terrible, involving forced confinement and constant surveillance.

India: Inditex, H&M, C&A y PVH se vuelcan en los trabajadores del textil tras otra denuncia por abusos (Modaes.es):
Inditex, H&M, C&A y PVH toman medidas en su aprovisionamiento en India. Estos cuatro gigantes de la distribución de moda se han comprometido a mejorar las condiciones laborales en la ciudad de Bangalore, en India, después de que un nuevo estudio desvelara prácticas abusivas en sus proveedores en el país. La denuncia procede del Comité Indio en Holanda (ICN, en sus siglas en inglés), autor del informe Unfree and Unfair.

India – ‘Unfree and Unfair’ – young migrant women workers in Bangalore (Kractivist.org):
The paper Unfree and Unfair – published today by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – gives evidence of appalling living conditions and restricted freedom of movement of young migrant garment workers in the Indian city of Bangalore.

H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (WWD)/
H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (MagicOnline.com)/
H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (PourElles.com)/
H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (TopFash.com)/
H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (Glam-Touch.com):
Three leading European retailers and a major U.S. fashion group have pledged to take action to end what the India Committee of the Netherlands alleged are “appalling living conditions” for apparel workers in Bangalore, India, according to the human and labor rights organization.
The ICN, which released a paper titled Unfree and Unfair on Thursday detailing the alleged abuse, reached out to retailers and brands before the paper was published and said it has received commitments from C&A, H&M, Inditex and PVH Corp. to provide garment workers with better working conditions in Bangalore.

Daliters möjligheter i tillväxtens Indien (Svalorna Indien Bangladesh):
Sedan Indien öppnade marknaden för utländska investerare under 90-talet har landet haft en stabil ekonomisk tillväxt, men trots det har landet misslyckats med att stärka situationen för kvinnliga daliter i arbetslivet.

Accountability in the Fashion Industry: Loopholes in the H&M Value Chain (School of Global Policy and Strategy, San Diego):
On the morning of April 24, 2013 two women entered the Rana Plaza Building, an eight-story garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh where they went to work every day as sewing operators for a company that manufactures garments to be sold at Western retailers. The women and several other bystanders noticed a crack in the wall and immediately reported it to the factory manager. Under pressure to fulfill orders, the factory owner ordered the women back inside. Just moments later the women and more than 1,100 other people died when the building collapsed around them, suffocating the occupants under a pile of ash and steel. The catastrophe rocked the international community and left many to ask how such a disaster could happen. Who was responsible for the neglect and how can they be brought to justice?

Twilight children (The Hindu):
Children and adolescents, mostly girls, toil in factories in conditions of near-slavery. This is the hidden face of manufacturing units in the flourishing industrial hubs of Tamil Nadu.

At This Bangladesh Sweatshop, Children Make Our Clothing for Little to No Pay (Ecouterre):
Claudio Montesano Casillas didn’t know what he was in for when he signed up for a tour of Old Dhaka in Bangladesh. It was only the photojournalist’s second day in the South Asian country, but already he had encountered one of the city’s less savory claims to fame. In some of the thousands of small, unregulated “shadow” facilities that litter Bangladesh’s landscape, Casillas witnessed men, women, and children toiling for hours over cutting tables and sewing machines to make clothing for the Western world. “The factories I saw did not correspond with my idea of a factory—a shiny well-organized place with large-scale production,” he wrote in a blog post for Fashion Revolution, an awareness-raising movement born in the aftermath of the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory, which killed 1,138 people in April 2013.

Inditex y la responsabilidad solidaria (La Marea):
Junto a la voluntariedad y la unilateralidad, hay que tener en cuenta los distintos mecanismos de verificación y evaluación de la “responsabilidad social”.

Kasteløse slaver i den indiske tøjindustri (The Dig Project):
Unge kasteløse piger i sydindien udnyttes groft af den lokale tøjindustri, der med slavelignende forhold producer tøj for en lang række internationale tøjmๆrker.

The problem with slavery and the Sustainable Development Goals (Equal Times):
At the end of September, the United Nations officially adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guide for international efforts against poverty for the next 15 years. The SDGs include a target for the elimination of slavery, forced and child labour.
Anti-Slavery International has been calling since 2007 for slavery to be recognised as a fundamental issue of poverty and development so the recognition of this in the SDGs is a crucial step. But this is where it gets difficult.

23 girls rescued from spinning mill in Tirupur (The Hindu):
As many as 23 girls aged between 11 and 18 years were rescued from a spinning mill at Olapalayam village near Kangayam, in Tirupur District on Sunday. They were rescued in an operation carried out by officials and police, led by Revenue Division Officer (RDO) of Dharapuram G. Saravanamurthy.

Girls duped into bonded labor in India’s textile mills (Taipei Times):
Tens of thousands of these women come from poor, illiterate communities, whose families are duped into sending their daughters on three-year work schemes that are promoted as an easy way to earn dowries.

Captured by cotton: Girls duped into "bonded labour" in India's textile mills (Trust.org):
Over 100,000 girls, women work as "bonded labour" in mills.... Poor families duped, send daughters on three-year work schemes.... Spinning mills, big brands say inspectors check conditions....

Girl workers physically, sexually exploited, reveals survey (The Hindu):
A study on the health status of adolescent girls working in the textile mills under the controversial ‘Sumangali Scheme’ or ‘Thirumagal Thirumana Thittam’ has revealed that most of them working in hostile working conditions are being physically and sexually exploited.

Study on the Health Status of Adolescent Girls working in Textile and Spinning Mills: Almost all girls have big physical and mental health problems (Vaan Muhil):
A study on the health status of adolescent girls working in the textile and spinning mills was conducted by the organization Vaan Muhil between October 2015 and February 2015.
In total 193 girls of girls from Tirunelveli District working in the mils or returnees of the Sumangali Scheme were selected for the study through group discussions, case studies and individual in-depth interviews.

New Sumangali guidance document online (Fair Wear Foundation):
To provide guidance to its members, FWF has drawn a document on the risks related to the Sumangali Scheme and India's Bonded Labour System.

Overview media attention referring to report Flawed Fabrics (ICN)

Dalit Girl Found Hanging in Textile Mill (The New Indian Express):
A 19-year-old dalit girl was found dead in a suspicious manner inside a bathroom of a private textile mill near Vedasanthur, Dindigul district on Wednesday. While police claimed the girl committed suicide as she could not bear her stomach pain, NGOs have raised doubts over the death.

New report Mind the Gap: How the global brands are not doing enough to ensure a dignified life for workers in the garment and electronics industry in India (Future in Our Hands):
This report is a joint effort of Future in Our Hands (Framtiden i våre hender), Norway and Civil Initiatives for Development and Peace (Cividep), India, both civil society organizations working for fair distribution of wealth globally through respect for the rights of workers and communities. The study compares working conditions and wages in two different global supply chains that cater to the European market with links to South India - the garment industry in Bangalore that produces apparel for well-known European retailers including H&M, a Swedish multinational, and Norwegian Varner Group as also the electronics industry in Sriperumbudur (near Chennai) where electronics companies Dell and Samsung (USA and Korea respectively) are manufacturing their products.

Ropa manchada (El Subjectivo):
Abres el armario y piensas que tu repertorio está desactualizado, o que el número de camisas, camisetas, pantalones y zapatos no es suficiente para seguir el ritmo de renovación que impone nuestra sociedad. [...] Según el estudio Flawed Fabrics (Tejidos defectuosos) del Centre of Research on Multinational Corporations, las opciones que tenemos de comprar productos textiles que no estén salpicados de injusticias de este tipo se reduce cada vez más.

Helping women garment-factory workers stand up for their rights (The Times of India):
International consumer activism has helped empower several hundred women, especially in garment factories, which is the second largest sector to employ women. [....] Another report, titled Flawed Fabrics issued by two non-profit agencies, Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), has looked in-depth into the plight of these garment factory workers in Tamil Nadu. The report shows how vulnerable the women are starting from deceptive recruitment tactics by middle men which results in forced and bonded labour. Long working hours, low wages, unhygienic working and living conditions are other aspects that dominate the scene.

Esclavas textiles en la India: cuatro grandes empresas españolas en la 'lista negra' (El Confidencial)/
Trabajo esclavo en la India: cuatro grandes empresas españolas están en la 'lista negra' (SOTT.net)/
Trabajo esclavo en la India: cuatro grandes empresas españolas están en la lista negra (PrimeraPlanaOnline.com - 4(?) feb 2015)/
Trabajo esclavo en la India: cuatro grandes empresas españolas están en la 'lista negra' (AgenciaEternity.com - 6 feb 2015)/
Esclavas textiles en India: Empresas europeas en “lista negra” (Guioteca.com - 6 feb 2015)/
Trabajo esclavo en la India: cuatro grandes empresas españolas están en la lista negra (Perseo (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) - mrt 2015):
Salarios de 1,3 euros diarios por 68 horas de trabajo a la semana, sin contrato, en un ambiente insalubre, sin derechos básicos como la prestación en caso de enfermedad o la afiliación sindical, en régimen de privación de libertad... Ese sigue siendo el lóbrego escenario laboral al que se enfrentan cotidianamente decenas de miles de niñas y adolescentes, muchas de ellas de apenas 15 años, en el estado indio de Tamil Nadu, al sudeste del coloso asiático. [....] Así lo revela un nuevo y exhaustivo informe del prestigioso Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations – una organización independiente holandesa sin ánimo de lucro que escruta los estándares éticos de las grandes multinacionales –, que destapa, una vez más, la explotación vinculada al comercio textil.

Addressing Modern Slavery in Tamil Nadu Textile Industry - Feasibility Study Report (Freedom Fund):
In response to continued evidence of human rights violations in the textile industry in Tamil Nadu, the Freedom Fund and C&A Foundation decided to carry out a feasibility study focused on issues related to modern slavery within the supply chain in the sector. The Association for Stimulating Know How (ASK) conducted this study.

[Recomendación] Sweatshop (Regeneración):
La industria textil y de la moda es una de las que más dinero mueven en todo el mundo, y es un sector pionero en desarrollar las prácticas más salvajes del capitalismo y la globalización. Como ejemplos podemos nombrar la producción en maquilas, sin derechos laborales, empleando a niñas; o la contaminación de ríos (y la consiguiente destrucción de ecosistemas) como consecuencia del vertido de tintas utilizadas en la producción de ropa. Un informe del Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (organización independiente holandesa) y el India Committee of the Netherlands (una ONG del mismo país) nos advierte de las prácticas “esclavistas” de algunos de los gigantes mundiales de la moda.

Tres blogueros de moda viajaron a Camboya. H&M les prohibió hablar de lo que vieron (Muhimu.es):
El periódico noruego Aftenposten creó un “reality” donde 3 jóvenes fueran a Camboya para ver cómo se produce la ropa que se ponen a diario. En su apartado de video lanzó varios capítulos bajo el nombre Sweat Shop. [....] Y mucho más: un informe elaborado por el prestigioso Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, organización independiente holandesa sin ánimo de lucro y el India Committee of the Netherlands, una ONG del mismo país impulsora de la campaña Clean Clothes (Ropas Limpias) contra la explotación vinculada al comercio textil, nos advierte de las prácticas “esclavistas” de algunos de los gigantes mundiales de la moda.

H&M prohibió hablar de ello - Sweat Shop: Moda barata de la muerte (AlMomentoNoticias):
El periódico noruego Aftenposten creó un “realityshow” donde 3 jóvenes reconocidos por fashionistas y bloggers de moda, fueron a Camboya para ver cómo se producía la ropa que se ponen a diario. En versión de video, lanzaron varios capítulos bajo el nombre Sweat Shop: Moda barata de la muerte. [....] Un informe elaborado por Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, organización independiente holandesa sin ánimo de lucro y el India Committee of the Netherlands, una ONG del mismo país impulsora de la campaña Clean Clothes (Ropas Limpias) contra la explotación vinculada al comercio textil, advierte de las prácticas “esclavistas” de algunos de los gigantes mundiales de la moda.

Child labour in the fashion supply chain - where, why and what can business do? (The Guardian):
Some 170 million children were in child labour in 2012, according to the International Labour Organisation, touching areas of our lives from fashion to food. To achieve true sustainability, businesses must consider their impacts on children, both directly and indirectly. [....] A recent report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) revealed that recruiters in southern India convince parents in impoverished rural areas to send their daughters to spinning mills with promises of a well-paid job, comfortable accommodation, three nutritious meals a day and opportunities for training and schooling, as well as a lump sum payment at the end of three years.

Textilindustrie: Kinderarbeit, Zwangsarbeit, Schuldknechtschaft und Menschenhandel (CleanKids.de):
Somo und ICN aus den Niederlanden, Partner von FEMNET/CCC decken auf: Zwangsarbeit, Schuldknechtschaft und Menschenhandel gibt es in fünf südindischen Spinnereien – Lieferanten von H&M, C&A und Primark.

Schiavitù moderna nel settore tessile indiano (News Femca Veneto):
Il rapporto pubblicato da due organizzazioni non governative olandesi, dal titolo emblematico Flawed Fabrics (Tessuti difettosi), dimostra che le lavoratrici impiegate nell’industria tessile indiana per l’esportazione, localizzata nella regione del Tamil Nadu, sono ancora sottoposte a condizioni di lavoro spaventose, paragonabili al lavoro forzato.

Women need ‘azaadi’ from this surveillance regime (Hindustan Times):
The hardest and most urgent challenge in India today is to change the conversation from that of ‘safety from rape’ to that of women’s autonomy.
...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now exhorting multinationals to come and ‘Make in India’. Under what conditions do women currently ‘make’ for MNCs in India? Flawed Fabrics, a report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations and the India Committee of the Netherlands on women workers in Tamil Nadu’s textile industry that produces for a variety of top American and European brands, reveals the extremely exploitative conditions there.

C&A und H&M betroffen: Spinnereien in Indien knechten junge Frauen (T-Online.de):
In indischen Spinnereien, die auch für große Textilkonzerne arbeiten, gibt es offenbar schwere Menschenrechtsverletzungen. Das berichtet Der Spiegel vorab unter Bezug auf eine Studie aus den Niederlanden. Die untersuchten Fabriken in Südindien produzieren demnach Garn und Vorprodukte unter anderem für C&A und H&M.

Löchrige Kleider: Der Missbrauch von Mädchen und jungen Frauen in der Textilindustrie Südindiens (FemNet-ev.de):
Somo und ICN aus den Niederlanden, Partner von FEMNET/CCC decken auf: Zwangsarbeit, Schuldknechtschaft und Menschenhandel gibt es in fünf südindischen Spinnereien – Lieferanten von H&M, C&A und Primark.
Der von FEMNET übersetzte Bericht der niederländischen Nichtregierungsorganisationen SOMO und ICN mit dem Titel Löchrige Kleider: Der Missbrauch von Mädchen und jungen Frauen in der Textilindustrie Südindiens (PDF-Datei) gibt Einblicke in schwere Verstöße gegen internationale Arbeits- und Menschenrechte in den Spinnereien des südindischen Bundesstaates Tamil Nadu.

Has docility become a job requirement for women? (The News Minute):
We tend to think and speak of ‘dress codes on women’, bans on mobile phones, and other forms of moral policing as imposed by ‘backward’ social outfits like khap panchayats that are ‘out of sync with modernity’. Occasionally, we might discuss such measures imposed by colleges or Universities. [....] A recent study of textile factories in Tamil Nadu, Flawed Fabrics: The abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry (October 2014, prepared by SOMO - Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, and ICN - India Committee of the Netherlands) is revealing in this regard.

The Year Fashion Woke Up (BusinessOfFashion.com)/
The Year Fashion Woke Up (Fashion Matters):
This year, the global fashion industry finally began to take environmental and ethical problems seriously, with major luxury conglomerates and mass retailers alike taking significant steps in the right direction.
...
H&M blacklisted a spinning mill in southern India for not meeting its ethical standards, but only after a report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations and the India Committee of the Netherlands uncovered “appalling” working conditions and child labour there.

Flawed Fabrics – the abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry (Ethical Trade Initiative Norway):
This report highlights serious labour and human rights violations faced by girls and young women employed in the Tamil Nadu spinning industry in South India, a major hub in the global knitwear sector.

Inde: Des jeunes filles dalits traitées comme des esclaves modernes dans l’industrie textile (Solidarité Dalits Belgique):
Un récent rapport, publié à la fin du mois d’octobre 2014 et consacré aux formes modernes d’esclavage dans les filatures indiennes, fait apparaître que, malgré les initiatives prises pour mettre fin à la pratique de travaux forcés, la situation actuelle reste alarmante. Les efforts déployés par des marques de vêtements et des distributeurs au détail pour mettre un terme à ces abus manquent tant de considérations d’échelle que d’authentique conviction. A cause de leur statut de marginalisées et de leur incapacité d’avoir accès à des opportunités alternatives, la majorité des jeunes filles travaillant dans ces usines est constituée de dalits.

Dalit Girls in Modern Slavery in Textile Mills (Dalit Cry, p10):
The report Flawed Fabrics released by the India Committee on the Netherlands (ICN) and the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), states that girls as young as 15 in South India’s spinning mills are still facing appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour. They live in very basic company-run hostels and are hardly ever allowed to leave the company compound. The researched spinning mills have Western companies and Bangladesh garment factories among their customers.

Flawed Fabrics Report - Appalling Labor Standards in Tamil Nadu, India (Source4Style):
A report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) has exposed appalling labor conditions within 5 spinning mills in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India.

Report on (child) slavery in Indian textile production leads to action (ICN):
The new report Flawed Fabrics of the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and SOMO about child labour and 'modern slavery' in Indian spinning mills supplying to well-known garment brands clothing companies drew a lot of attention and led to action.

Report on Child Slavery in Indian Textile Production Leads to Action (Mino-View Quarterly Magazine (Oct-Dec 2014), p19):
The new report Flawed Fabrics of the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and SOMO about child labour and 'modern slavery' in Indian spinning mills supplying to well-known garment brands clothing companies drew a lot of attention and led to various actions.

Modern Slavery Bill — Second Reading (TheyWorkForYou.com (UK Parliament)):
...
The need for measures to tackle modern slavery in company chains is amply demonstrated by the abuses and exploitation of workers in cotton mills in places such as Tamil Nadu in India or, for that matter, the situation of children of brick kiln workers in places such as India and Pakistan. The report, Flawed Fabrics, published in October, detailed forced labour abuses, including shocking "prison-like conditions". The report makes several recommendations on brands, retailers and manufacturers, and highlights the need for supply chain mapping, transparency and the identification of risks.
...

Abused Workers Make "Flawed Fabrics": Garment Makers of South India Under Global Watch (NewClothMarketOnline.com):
There is disturbing news for textile manufacturers of the country that must put them on a high alert, especially if they are engaged in export related production activity and not following the global practices with regard to well-being of their labourforce.
The Netherlands based Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) – in association with India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – has come out with its latest investigative report on the Tamil Nadu textile and garment industry. The research was conducted to find out the current status of compliance of labour-related global standards by leading export oriented manufacturing units.

Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour: Report (ZeeNews)/
Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour: Report (Business Standard)/
Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour: Report (LifeAndTrendz.com)/
Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour: report (New Age Bangladesh - Nov 17, 2014)/
‘Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour’ (Hawker.com.bd - Nov 17, 2014)/
Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour (The Daily Observer - Nov 17, 2014)/
‘Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour’ (The Independent - Nov 17, 2014)/
Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour: report (LankaBD.com - Nov 17, 2014)/
Cotton mills in Tamil Nadu using forced child labour (Hosur Online - Nov 17, 2014):
Cotton manufacturers in Tamil Nadu are using forced child labour for long hours in dangerous conditions in their factories, a British daily alleged, a charge rubbished by a major textile body in the state as totally wrong.
An investigation by The Times claimed that children as young as 11 years are being paid as little as 6 pounds a month to produce the raw materials used to make garments for sale in Britain.

The cotton in your clothes may be made by girls aged 11, paid £6 a month (The Times):
Girls as young as 11 are being paid as little as £6 a month to produce the raw materials used to make garments for sale in Britain, an investigation by The Times has found.
Girls are sold to cotton spinning mills in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, locked in for weeks on end and forced to work relentless hours for pitiful wages in dangerous conditions.

A report that sheds light on the misery of women labourers in the Tamil Nadu spinning industry (The News Minute):
Vinitha was fifteen when she began working in a cotton mill in Satyamangalam in Tamil Nadu. “The working environment was not hospitable. We were often yelled at by senior management. They would keep complaining about us even if it wasn’t our fault ”, said Vinitha, who left the job at the mill around six months ago.
...
A joint report titled Flawed Fabrics published by Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) details the abuse of girls and women workers in the spinning mills of Tamil Nadu and the gross violation of labour rights and human rights in this industry.

Modern day slavery in Southern Indian textile industry: Efforts of clothing brands and retailers lack scale and conviction (Counterview.org):
Flawed Fabrics – a new report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – shows that workers are still facing appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour in the export-oriented Southern Indian textile industry. Executive Summary of the report.

Flawed Fabrics (WellMade.org):
This report highlights serious labour rights and human rights violations faced by girls and young women employed in the Tamil Nadu spinning industry in South India, which is a major hub in the global knitwear sector, supplying some of the big name clothing brands. In fact, Tamil Nadu is home to some 1,600 mills, with a workforce of more than 400,000 workers. Sixty per cent of the total labour force consists of girls and young women.

Modern Day Slavery in Tamil Nadu's Textile Mills (RGICS Policy Watch, p24):
A report, titled Flawed Fabrics, released on 28th October 2014 by the Amsterdam-based Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) has revealed that workers in Tamil Nadu’s textile mills work under appalling conditions, almost equivalent to modern-day slavery. It gives an account of the condition of workers in five Tamil Nadu spinning mills including Best Cotton Mills, Jeyavishnu Spintex, Premier Mills, Sulochana Cotton Spinning Mills and Super Spinning Mills.

Den dag i dag slavelignende forhold i Indiens tekstilindustri (U-Landsnyt.dk):
Mange arbejdere i det sydlige Indiens tekstilfabrikker er nærmest slaver, siger ny rapport. Der er ofte tale om unge kasteløse kvinder, der lokkes til arbejdet med løfter om hjælp til uddannelse.

No compres productos de empresas que utilizan esclavos (La Opinión de Tenerife):
A mancio Ortega tiene cara de abuelo dulce, un señor respetable que protege en su regazo a sus nietos para contarles mil historias de sueños y glorias personales, la misma con la que Francisco Hernando Contreras, conocido por Paco el Pocero, se pasea en su yate haciendo alardes de grandeza, recordándonos que todo lo ha conseguido con esfuerzo y humildad, que de construir alcantarillas pasó a ser el empresario modelo que edificaba urbanizaciones como quien planta árboles y sin que nadie lo detuviese porque todos se plegaban ante su poder.
...
Cuando usted visite un centro comercial predispuesto a entrar en una tienda donde se venda ropa de esa firma, tiene que tener en cuenta un par de cosas: lo primero que debe saber es que la India se ha convertido en un nuevo foco de la esclavitud mundial hasta el punto que en 2012 se denunciaba que niñas y adolescentes trabajan en fábricas textiles más de setenta y dos horas semanales por 0'88 euros al día en unas condiciones infrahumanas; y lo segundo es que el informe elaborado por Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations y el India Committee of the Netherlands demostraba que una serie de marcas estaban inmersas dentro de esa red de trabajo esclavo.

Nuevo informe sobre la esclavitud moderna en la industria textil india (ObservatorioRSC.org)/
Nuevo informe sobre la esclavitud moderna en la industria textil india (SIIDHU - Nov 10, 2014):
El informe Flawed Fabrics: The abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry del Centro de Investigación de las Empresas Multinacionales (SOMO) y el Comité Indio de Holanda (ICN) muestra que los trabajadores todavía afrontan condiciones laborales que equivalen a trabajo forzado. Esto ocurre en el sector textíl del sur de India, que está muy orientada hacía las exportaciones.

H&M Blacklists Indian Spinning Mill After Allegations of Forced Labor (Ecouterre)/
H&M Blacklists Indian Spinning Mill After Allegations of Forced Labor (NewsFiber.com)/
H&M Blacklists Indian Spinning Mill After Allegations of Forced Labor (OrtaBlu.org)/
H&M Blacklists Indian Spinning Mill After Allegations of Forced Labor (Ethicalista - Nov 5, 2014):
H&M has blacklisted a southern Indian textile mill following allegations of rampant labor- and human-rights abuses in the the country’s garment hub of Tamil Nadu. Flawed Fabrics, a report released by Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), in collaboration with the India Committee of the Netherlands last Tuesday, details the deplorable conditions that are endemic to the region’s 1,600 mills, most of which are staffed by girls and young women. Compiled using a mix of desk research and in-depth interviews with 150 workers at five different mills, the research paints a grim picture of the supply chains of some of the world’s best-known brands, which, in addition to H&M, include C&A, Hanes, Mothercare, and Primark.

Flawed Fabrics: The abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry (Homeworkers Worldwide):
Women and girls in South India are continuing to work in conditions of forced and bonded labour in a textile industry supplying many UK highstreet brands.
The latest report from research organisation SOMO highlights serious labour rights and human rights violations faced by girls and young women employed in the Tamil Nadu spinning industry in South India, which is a major hub in the global cotton jersey (T-shirt fabric) sector.

Forced labour scheme found in highstreet retailers supply chains (Clean Clothes Campaign Ireland):
The latest report released by Clean Clothes Campaign Ireland and their partners have found a bonded labour schemes targeting poverty stricken young girls as young as 15 in South India are supplying well known highstreet retailers including Primark, Mothercare, C&A and Sainsbury’s among others.
Flawed Fabrics a new report from Clean Clothes Campaign partners; the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) highlights serious labour rights and human rights violations faced by girls and young women in the South Indian textile hub of Tamil Nadu.

(2014) Report – Flawed Fabrics (AbitiPuliti.org):
Ancora evidenze di schiavitù moderna nel settore tessile indiano.
Il 28 ottobre 2014, due organizzazioni non governative olandesi, SOMO (Centro di Ricerca sulle Imprese Multinazionali) e ICN (Comitato Indiano dei Paesi Bassi), hanno pubblicato un nuovo rapporto sulle condizioni di lavoro esistenti nell’industria tessile indiana per l’esportazione, localizzata nella regione del Tamil Nadu.

New Report: Modern day slavery in the Indian textile industry (Thozhilalar Koodam):
Flawed Fabrics – a new report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – shows that workers are still facing appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour in the export-oriented Southern Indian textile industry.

Flawed Fabrics of Tamil Nadu (Navayana.org):
That global capital constantly shifts its sites of exploitation is common knowledge, but the wide-reaching consequences of such an imperative are often overlooked.
...
Flawed fabrics, a report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (Somo) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), shows that in spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, in south India, teenage girls and young women are working under conditions that amount to slavery and the worst forms of child labour.

Odevní znacky využívají otrocké práce (HaloNoviny.cz):
Náctileté dívky v indických tkalcovnách ve státe Tamil Nadu tkají látky pro známé odberatele, jako jsou napríklad C&A, Primark ci Sainsburyดs. Dívky jsou lákány pod príslibem atraktivní práce a dobrého výdelku, ve skutecnosti jsou zamestnavateli težce vykoristovány. Haló novinám to sdelila organizace NaZemi.
Závery plynou ze zverejneného výzkumu nizozemských organizací SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational) a ICN (India Committee of the Netherlands).

India: The SOMO - ICN report on employment and labour conditions in the textile industry in the state of Tamil Nadu (South Asia Citizens Web (SACW)):
This report offers insights into the employment and labour conditions in the textile industry in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The report tells the stories of workers in five spinning mills: Best Cotton Mills, Jeyavishnu Spintex, Premier Mills (Unit III), Sulochana Cotton Spinning Mills and Super Spinning Mills (Unit C). These spinning mills are part of five vertically integrated enterprises: Best Corporation (P) Limited (BCPL), Premier Group, K.M. Knitwear, Sulochana Group and SARA ELGI.

Exploitation widespread in the textile industry (TUC - RISKS):
Workers are facing appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour in the export-oriented Southern Indian textile industry, a study has found. The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) discovered women and girls who work in the spinning mills of Tamil Nadu, some as young as 15, are forced to work long hours for low wages.

H&M boykottiert Super Spinning Mills! (NachhaltigLeben.de):
Vielleicht ein erstes gutes Signal für bessere Arbeitsbedingungen in Indien: Der schwedische Bekleidungskonzern Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) bezieht ab sofort kein Garn mehr aus der südindischen Spinnerei "Super Spinning Mills".

Exploitation widespread in the Indian textile industry (SheilaPantry.com):
Workers are facing appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour in the export-oriented Southern Indian textile industry, a study has found. The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) discovered women and girls who work in the spinning mills of Tamil Nadu, some as young as 15, are forced to work long hours for low wages.
...

Can you earn a living wage in fashion in Italy? (Campagna Abiti Puliti/Clean Clothes Campaign):
This report was conducted by Campagna Abiti Puliti, the Italian section of the Clean Clothes Campaign. It is a survey on pay conditions in the clothing and footwear sector in Italy to see whether in Italy too there is a real living wage problem. This report sets out the findings of the survey, which was conducted from April 2013 to August 2014 by members of the campaign and a team of Italian researchers represented by Devi Sacchetto, Veronica Redini and Davide Bubbico.

Wspólczesne niewolnictwo w indyjskim przemysle tekstylnym (Ekonsument.pl)/
Nowy raport: Wspólczesne niewolnictwo w indyjskim przemysle tekstylnym (CleanClothes.pl):
Flawed Fabrics – nowy raport przygotowany przez Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) oraz India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – pokazuje, ze w zorientowanym na eksport przemysle tekstylnym poludniowych Indii, pracownicy wciaz stawiaja czola odrazajacym warunkom pracy równoznacznym z praca przymusowa.

Investigation Finds “Slavery” Of Women And Young Girls At Textile Mills Used By Fast Fashion Brands (SwaggerNewYork.com):
Multiple textile mills in South India have been accused of employing luring young girls and women from their impoverished communities and forcing them into “modern-day slavery” at mills used by fast fashion brands including H&M, Primark and C&A.

(js.winshang.com)/
(fabric114.com)/
(redpingtai.com - Nov 1, 2014):

Indisk textilindustri under lupp (Habit.se):
En ny rapport kastar ljuset på undermåliga och slavlika arbetsförhållanden i textilindustrin i södra Indien.
Undermåliga arbetsförhållanden, arbetare inlåsta i trånga och dåliga arbetslokaler och bostäder, låga löner, långa arbetsdagar och inga möjligheter att organisera sig är en verklighet för unga kvinnor i textilindustrin i södra Indien enligt rapporten nya rapporten Flawed Fabrics - The abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry framtagen av Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, SOMO, och the India Committee of the Netherlands,ICN.

Výzkum: Odevní znacky dostupné i v CR využívají indických otrokyn (Souvisime.cz):
Náctileté dívky v indických tkalcovnách ve státe Tamil Nadu tkají látky pro známé odberatele, jako jsou napríklad C&A, Primark ci Sainsburyดs. Dívky jsou rekrutovány z nejchudších venkovských vrstev. K práci jsou lákány pod príslibem atraktivní práce a dobrého výdelku. Ve skutecnosti jsou nuceny pracovat až 68 hodin týdne za velice nízké mzdy. Mají omezenou svobodu pohybu, jsou nuceny k prescasum i nocním smenám, pracují ve škodlivém prostredí bez ochranných pomucek. Uvádí to práve zverejnený výzkum nizozemských organizací SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational) a ICN (India Committee of the Netherlands).

Report: Dalit girls in modern slavery in India’s textile industry (IDSN):
A new report following up on modern slavery in Indian spinning mills, finds that despite initiatives launched to end conditions of forced labour, the situation remains alarming. Efforts of clothing brands and retailers to end this, lack scale and conviction. Due to their marginalised status and lack of alternative opportunities, the majority of girls working in these factories are Dalits.

Neuer Bericht prangert entsetzliche Bedingungen in Spinnereien an (FashionUnited.de):
Gerade als es schien, dass die Bekleidungsindustrie auf dem besten Weg sei, verantwortlicher zu werden - durch Anstrengungen von Marken und Einzelhändlern und Übereinkommen wie dem Bangladesch Abkommen und der Allianz - da gibt es einen neuen Rückschlag, der diesmal an die Substanz geht, nämlich den Stoff, aus dem Kleidung gemacht wird. Ein neuer Bericht hat sich mit der Situation südindischer Spinnereien beschäftigt und musste entsetzliche Bedingungen feststellen.

H&M boykottiert südindische Spinnerei (FashionUnited.de)/
H&M boykottiert südindische Spinnerei (FashionUnited.ch):
Der schwedische Bekleidungskonzern Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) hat sich entschieden, kein Garn mehr von der südindischen Spinnerei Super Spinning zu beziehen, nachdem ein zu Beginn der Woche veröffentlichter Bericht die entsetzlichen Arbeits- und Lebensbedingungen junger Frauen und Mädchen aufdeckte, die dort arbeiten (s. Artikel "Neuer Bericht prangert entsetzliche Bedingungen in Spinnereien an" vom 30. Okt.)

H&M bans Indian spinning mill for use of child labour (FashionUnited.in):
Swedish brand Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has decided to stop suppliers from sourcing their yarn requirements from a spinning mill in southern India after a report revealed that five manufacturers belonging to this area, use child labour and the workers, mostly women and girls working in these units are subjected to poor and horrific working conditions.

Modern Day Slavery by Brands (FashionFad.in):
Even in the 21^st century, a country like India still lays in the backdrop of social hindrances and the vicious circle of poverty. With a major chunk of people still remaining below the poverty line, people still die of hunger and lack of basic necessities in life. A very similar plight is suffered by the girls and young women in Tamil Nadu.
Under an extremely rampant scheme titled ‘The Sumangali Scheme’, innumerable young girls and women are employed to work in the garment industry, wherein they are promised a decent wage, comfortable accommodation and a lump-sum amount of money upon the completion of a three year contract, which thereafter is used to pay for a dowry.

Report claims unethical practices in Tamil Nadu (Apparel Resources):
Flawed Fabrics, a report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), claims that at spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, teenage girls and young women are working under conditions that amount to slavery and the worst forms of child labour.

Flawed Fabrics – The abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry #Vaw (Kractivist.org):
Laborers in South India’s textile industry are facing appalling working conditions and abuse, likened to “modern-day slavery,” according to a new report.
The report, titled Flawed Fabrics released by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), two nongovernmental labor rights organizations based in the Netherlands, claims that five spinning mills in textile and knitwear hub, Tamil Nadu, are forcing workers to toil for long hours under lackluster conditions.

Slave labor in textile industry still common practice (Summer-Foundation.org):
Last year headlines where dominated by a major disaster taking place in a textile factory in Bangladesh. Suddenly the garment industry promised to do anything necessary to improve the poor working conditions. However, a recently published report by SOMO shows that little progress is made. Anyone buying clothes at stores such as Primark, C&A, Mothercare, Hanesbrands and Sainsbury's should know that these garments are made by women and children that are being treated as slaves. SOMO monitors the activities of multinationals since 1973 and publishes reports on the effects of their policies.

Apparel retailers react to India forced labour allegations (Just-Style.com)/
Apparel retailers react to India forced labour allegations (Human Rights Defense International):
A number of retailers have responded to allegations of "forced labour" amongst female textile workers in mills in southern India, with H&M blacklisting one of the five named.

H&M to blacklist India’s Super Spinning Mills after report of child labor, ‘appalling’ conditions (Business World Online):
Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) will blacklist a spinning mill in southern India after a report claimed five manufacturers there use child labor and subjected workers, mostly women and girls, to “appalling” working conditions.
H&M will ban suppliers from using products made by Tamil Nadu-based Super Spinning Mills Ltd., the Stockholm-based company said today.

CSR: avoiding ethical exhibitionism (Hrchitects.net):
Talking about CSR is not so easy. It’s about ethics. It’s not that business and ethics are incompatible. They are. But ethics is innate. So if you talk about it, you risk to end up in existential discussions.
... This is what happened recently to H&M a couple of days ago. This is an interesting case. You can find a full description of its view on CSR here. They take CSR really seriously. But a recent report by SOMO under the name Flawed Fabrics is very critical about the South Indian textile Industry, allegedly working for H&M.

(NoFashion.cn):

H&M prohíbe insumos de empresa India que emplea trabajo infantil (MiaBogadoEnLinea.net):
La empresa sueca de ropa y accesorios, H&M, Hennes & Mauritz AB, anunció que incluía en la lista negra de empresas a una empresa de hiladoras al sur de la India porque emplea trabajo infantil y somete a "espantosas" condiciones de trabajos a sus empleados, mayoritariamente mujeres y niñas.
... El anuncio lo realizó H&M después de que se dieran a conocer los resultados de una auditoría realizada por el Center for Research for Multinational Corporations, SOMO, y por el Comité de la India de los Países Bajos.

Odevné znacky dostupné i v CR využívajú indické otrokyne (Humanisti.sk):
Nástrocné dievcatá v indických tkácovniach v štáte Tamil Nadu tkajú látky pre známych odberatelov, ako sú napríklad C&A, Primark ci Sainsbury's. Dievcatá sú regrutované z najchudších vidieckych vrstiev. K práci sú lákané pod príslubom atraktívnej práce a dobrého zárobku. V skutocnosti sú potom nútené pracovat až 68 hodín týždenne za velmi nízke mzdy. Majú obmedzenú slobodu pohybu, sú nútené k nadcasom i nocným zmenám, pracujú v škodlivom prostredí bez ochranných pomôcok. Uvádza to vcera uverejnený výskum holandských organizácií SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational) a ICN (India Committee of the Netherlands).

Investigation Finds ‘Slavery’ of Women and Girls at Textile Mills Used by Major Fast Fashion Brands (Human Rights Defence International)/
Investigation Finds ‘Slavery’ of Women and Girls during Textile Mills Used by … (Fashion News):
It’s time to rethink your wardrobe, and not just because the season’s changing.
A new report has linked some of the world’s largest fast fashion retailers to sickening forced labor of women and young girls at multiple South Indian textile mills. Flawed Fabrics, an investigation carried out by human rights organizations The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN,) has linked multiple western retail giants including H&M, Primark, and HanesBrands to the horrifying conditions in mills, reports WWD.

Investigation Finds “Slavery” at Mills Used by Major Fast Fashion Brands (TheFashionLaw.com):
A handful of textile mills in the Tamil Nadu area of India have been accused of employing forced labor and have been linked to major fast fashion giants including H&M, Primark and C&A. According to Flawed Fabrics, a report from the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations and the India Committee of the Netherlands, which was compiled "through a mixture of desk research and interviews with workers", an array of core labor rights are being violated.

Indian Textile Mill Working Conditions Likened to ‘Modern-Day Slavery’ in New Report (TheFashionSpot.com):
After last year’s tragic Rana Plaza building collapse killing 1,130 people, preceded by the Tazreen factory fire in November of 2012 that claimed 112 lives, we’ve seen retailers and factory owners try to reform the working conditions of the people that make our garments. But the latest report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations and the India Committee of the Netherlands shows that there is still much work to be done when it comes to textile factory workers in the region.

Labour condition appalling in Indian Textile Industry (HotNHitNews.com):
Teenage girls and young women are lured with attractive promises of decent jobs and good pay to join the textile industry in south India as workers. But, in reality, they work under appalling conditions that amount to modern day slavery and the worst forms of child labour, says a new report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

H&M blacklists supplier over child labor reports (RetailDive.com):
Stockholm-based Henne & Mauritz AB, known as H&M, is banning all products from a southern India company after reports that its manufacturers hired children and maintained “appalling” working conditions.

H&M bans clothes from Indian spinning mill accused of child labour (Irish Independent):
Hennes & Mauritz AB will blacklist a spinning mill in India after a report claimed five manufacturers there use child labour and subjected workers, mostly women and girls, to "appalling" working conditions.

Tamil Nadu’s garment workers ‘modern-day slaves’: Dutch Report (Down to Earth):
A report released on Tuesday by the Amsterdam-based Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) has revealed that workers in Tamil Nadu’s textile mills work under appalling conditions, almost equivalent to modern-day slavery.

Indian Textile Mills Accused Of Forced Labour (Vogue):
Five textile mills in the Tamil Nadu area of India - linked indirectly to several high-profile high-street retailers including H&M, Primark and C&A - have been accused of forced labour in a report entitled Flawed Fabrics.
The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) are responsible for the report, which was compiled "through a mixture of desk research and interviews on the ground with workers employed at five Tamil Nadu spinning mills". It concludes "that several core labour rights are being violated. Girls and young women are being lured from their home villages by false promises and are working under appalling conditions amounting to forced labour" - a practice known as the Sumangali Scheme.

Super Spinning Mills denies H&M charge (The Hindu):
Super Spinning Mills, which was blacklisted by Hennes & Mauritz AB of Sweden for violating core labour rights, on Tuesday, said it followed the labour laws of Tamil Nadu, and these are verified by the Labour Department.
Reacting to a Bloomberg report on the textile mill’s blacklisting following a study by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands, a company representative said, “We are denying the allegations of SOMO...."

Report sheds light on appalling working conditions in spinning mills (FashionUnited.uk):
Just when it seemed that the garment industry was on its way to becoming more responsible - with efforts by individual brands and retailers and the Bangladesh Accord and Alliance making progress - another jack-in-the-box jumps out of it, this time in the form of the very fabric clothes are made of. A new report looks at the situation at South Indian spinning mills and finds appalling conditions. Titled Flawed Fabrics - The abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry, the report scrutinized the conditions at five Tamil Nadu spinning mills...

Indian women textile workers endure “forced labour” (Indian-Apparel.com):
Female textile workers in mills in southern India are enduring horrific working conditions which amount to “forced labour”, according to a report from two pressure groups.
Flawed Fabrics was compiled by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) after interviewing some 150 workers at five textile mills in Tamil Nadu.

SAI Respond to SOMO and ICN "Flawed Fabrics" Report (Social Accountability International):
This statement is in response to SOMO and ICN’s recently published investigative report on working conditions in spinning mills in India: Flawed Fabrics. Among other multi-stakeholder initiatives, the report profiles SAI and claims non-compliant working conditions at two SA8000 certified mills.

‘H&M, C&A ve Primark sömürüye ortak oluyor!’ (Sonhaber.nl):
H&M, C&A en Primark gibi batili tekstil firmalarin, dünya çapinda karsi çikilmasina ragmen yinede dolayli yoldan Hindistan’daki genç isçileri sömüren tedarikçilerle çalismaya devam ettigi iddia ediliyor.

Response to SOMO / ICN report: Statement from Primark Stores (Primark.com):
Primark shares the concern of SOMO and ICN over working and employment conditions in the Southern Indian cotton mill industry. Primark does not source from the Sulochana mill, contrary to suggestions in the report and contrary to false claims made on the Sulochana website. Factories contracted to supply garments to Primark source from just one of the mills in the report, the Jeyavishnu Spinntex. The company notes that working and employment conditions there are generally better than in the other mills surveyed in the report. However, Primark accepts that this mill has issues that need rectification and will be continue to work with them to resolve them.

Flawed Fabrics (Media Voices For Children):
Flawed Fabrics – a new report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – shows that workers are still facing appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour in the export-oriented Southern Indian textile industry.

H&M Bans India’s Super Spinning After Report of Child Labor (Bloomberg.com)/
H&M Bans India’s Super Spinning After Report of Child Labor (FreeNewsPos.com)/
H&M Bans India’s supplier after report of child labor (TexTalks.com - Nov 14, 2014):
Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMB) will blacklist a spinning mill in southern India after a report claimed five manufacturers there use child labor and subjected workers, mostly women and girls, to “appalling” working conditions.

Clothier H&M bans India spinning mill after report on child labour, working conditions (TheStar.com)/
Clothier H&M bans India spinning mill after report on child labour, working conditions (NewsSaskatchewan.ca):
Clothier Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) will blacklist a spinning mill in southern India after a report claimed five manufacturers there use child labour and subjected workers, mostly women and girls, to “appalling” working conditions.

H&M Bans Textile Factory in India for Alleged 'Appalling' Conditions (PromoMarketing.com):
Following a report that a spinning mill in southern India uses child labor and subjects workers—mainly young women—to "appalling" conditions, H&M has banned suppliers from using its products.
... The report, Flawed Fabrics, from the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) indicates the mill has "appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour." The report is based on 150 worker interviews as well as an analysis of company data and information.

H&M blacklists spinning mill in India after reports of child labour and ‘appalling’ work conditions (Financial Post)/
H&M blacklists spinning mill in India after reports of child labour and ‘appalling’ work conditions (BullFax.com):
Hennes & Mauritz AB will blacklist a spinning mill in southern India after a report claimed five manufacturers there use child labour and subjected workers, mostly women and girls, to “appalling” working conditions.

H&M Bans India’s Super Spinning After Report of Child Labor (BusinessOfFashion.com)/
H&M bans India’s Super Spinning after report of child labour (LiveMint.com):
Hennes & Mauritz AB will blacklist a spinning mill in southern India after a report claimed five manufacturers there use child labour and subjected workers, mostly women and girls, to “appalling” working conditions.

H&M announces Design Award Finalists and blacklists a mill in South India (Fashionista):
... In other H&M news, the Swedish company has decided to blacklist a spinning mill in South India after a report claimed the factory uses child labor and that working conditions are “appalling.” Though the mill, Super Spinning Mills Ltd., claims these accusations are untrue, the retailer isn’t taking any chances.

Report Links Brands to 'Slavery' in Indian Mills (Women's Wear Daily):
A new report alleging “modern-day slavery” in five Indian textile mills prompted at least three of the Western retailers — H&M, Primark and C&A — linked to the factories on Tuesday to pledge to take either punitive or remedial action.
The report, Flawed Fabrics, was released by the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations and the India Committee of the Netherlands, two human and labor rights nongovernmental organizations based in the Netherlands, detailing alleged egregious abuses found at Indian textile spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, considered a major hub in the global textile and knitwear industry.

Flawed fabrics: the abuse of girls and women workers in the South Indian textile industry (IndiaEnvironmentPortal.org.in):
This report highlights serious labour rights and human rights violations faced by girls and young women employed in the Tamil Nadu spinning industry in South India, which is a major hub in the global knitwear sector, supplying some of the big name clothing brands including C&A, HanesBrands, Mothercare and Primark.

Tamil Nadu’s exploited garment workers need help from British justice (The Guardian)/
Tamil Nadu's exploited garment workers need help from British justice (Tamilnadu Everyday)/
Tamil Nadu's exploited garment workers need help from British justice (Bangladesh Development Reports - Oct 31, 2014):
Eighteen months ago the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,100 garment workers, and prompting global shock and outrage.
...
Flawed Fabrics, a report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (Somo) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), shows that in spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, in south India, teenage girls and young women are working under conditions that amount to slavery and the worst forms of child labour.

Primark, H&M factories hit in teen girl abuse report (NL Times):
Hannesbrands, C&A, Sainsbury’s, Primark and Mothercare have been linked to spinning mills that still have appalling working conditions.
This is evident from a report done by the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN). The report shows that workers are still facing awful working conditions in the Southern Indian textile industry.

New Report: Modern day slavery in the Indian textile industry (Stop Child Labour):
Flawed Fabrics – a new report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – shows that workers are still facing appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour in the export-oriented Southern Indian textile industry. The women and girls who work in the spinning mills of Tamil Nadu, some as young as 15, are mostly recruited from marginalised Dalit communities in impoverished rural areas.

New Report: Modern day slavery in the Indian textile industry - Efforts of clothing brands and retailers lack scale and conviction (press release SOMO/ICN):
Flawed Fabrics – a new report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – shows that workers are still facing appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour in the export-oriented Southern Indian textile industry. The women and girls who work in the spinning mills of Tamil Nadu, some as young as 15, are mostly recruited from marginalised Dalit communities in impoverished rural areas. They are forced to work long hours for low wages. They live in very basic company-run hostels and are hardly ever allowed to leave the company compound. The researched spinning mills have Western companies and Bangladesh garment factories among their customers, including C&A, Mothercare, HanesBrands, Sainsbury's and Primark.

Kailash Satyarthi, premio Nobel de la Paz 2014, pone en el punto de mira a las grandes empresas textiles (MarketingDirecto.com):
Kailash Satyarthi, nacido en Vidisha (India) en 1954 ha sido galardonado con el premio Nobel de la Paz 2014, por su incansable lucha contra para erradicar el trabajo y la explotación infantil. Satyarthi comparte este reconocimiento con Malala Yousafzai, la joven activista de origen paquistaní que lucha por el derecho a la educación de las niñas en todo el mundo.
...
Hace un par de años el Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (ONG holandesa que analiza grandes empresas) y el India Committee of the Netherlands (ONG que lucha contra la explotación infantil) puso en el punto de mira a algunos de los gigantes mundiales del sector textil al relacionarlas con este tipo de prácticas laborales.
...

Sweat Shop... (La Otra Mirilla):
...o lo que es lo mismo un taller de trabajo esclavo. ¿Y a qué viene hoy este post? Pues con motivo del vídeo que esta revolucionando las redes sociales, el trailer del reality Sweat Shop (fábrica de explotación), creado por el periódico noruego Aftenposten y donde 3 jóvenes blogueros visitan Camboya para ver cómo se produce la ropa que se ponen a diario.

Poorly Paid Garment Workers Clothed in Worry (The New Indian Express):
With schools reopening in a few weeks, Veena (name changed), employed in a garment factory near Mysore Road, is a worried mother.
From the few thousands she will earn this month, she needs to buy stationery and uniforms for her two children in high school. This apart, she has grocery and travel expenses daily - all this to be met within 2,000.

Behind the showroom: the hidden reality of India’s garment workers (FIDH):
Labour rights abuses and grave human rights violations, including bonded labour, are enduring on India’s garment factory work floors, said FIDH in a report launched today in New Delhi. To conceal indecent working conditions, garment factory managers and owners deploy extremely well-orchestrated show-responses to external visits by auditors, foreign buyers and NGOs alike.

'Rights Abuse Rife in TN Garment Sector' (The New Indian Express):
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), working on human rights issues, has alleged that labour rights abuse and human rights violations, including forms of bonded labour, are prevalent in the garment factories in India.

Dalit girls exploited in India's garment industry (IDSN) :
A new report finds that Dalit girls in India's garment industry live in hostels, with little freedom of movement, are underpaid for long working-days and working under hazardous conditions. Press Release from the India Committee on the Netherlands.

International garment brands not transparent about labour exploitation by their Indian suppliers: report (Down to Earth) :
An international organisation working for welfare of workers has drawn attention to the hazardous and exploitative working conditions of young girls working for the garment sector in Tamil Nadu.
An estimated 100,000 children and teenage girls are working in extremely oppressive conditions in the spinning mills and garment factories in Tamil Nadu, according to a report released by FNV Mondiaal (international department of Dutch trade union confederation) and the India Committee of the Netherlands. Most of the girls belong to Dalit communities and live in hostels, with little freedom of movement. They are underpaid, made to work for long hours in hazardous and unhealthy conditions. They are victims of "bonded labour" or "modern slavery", says the report.

Niños sin infancia - Trabajo esclavo en la India: tres empresas españolas están incluidas en la 'lista negra' (Beevoz):
Niñas y adolescentes trabajando sin contrato, privadas de libertad y en condiciones insalubres durante más de 72 horas a la semana por un salario de 0,88 euros al día, del que sólo podrán disponer cuando hayan transcurrido de tres a cinco años y que servirá para pagar su dote matrimonial. Ese es el sombrío escenario laboral de miles de jóvenes del estado de Tamil Nadu, al sur de la India, que son empleadas en condiciones que rozan la esclavitud por empresas textiles de aquel país que luego suministran sus productos a grandes firmas internacionales, entre ellas las españolas Inditex, El Corte Inglés y Cortefiel.

Inditex lleva años siendo objeto de denuncias periodísticas debido a sus proveedores (Mundiario.com):
Amancio Ortega es un hombre muy rico, pero recuerda mucho a Juan March, quien solía decir que siguiendo las reglas no se llega a millonario.
...
¿Es qué acaso es un invento el informe elaborado por el prestigioso “Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations” -una organización independiente holandesa sin ánimo de lucro que escruta a las grandes multinacionales- y el “India Committee of the Netherlands” -una ONG del mismo país impulsora de la campa๑a Clean Clothes (Ropas Limpias) contra la explotación vinculada al comercio textil- sobre la práctica de los gigantes mundiales de la moda por comerciar con esa presunta red de trabajo esclavo?

Expert meeting 3-12-2013: “Towards decent work in the Indian textile and garment industry and the role of the Netherlands” (ICN):
On the 3rd of December 2013, the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and Dutch trade union FNV organised an expert meeting around the question how the government, industry and civil society can work together to improve the lives of workers in the Indian garment industry.

I Tried to See Where My T-Shirt Was Made, and the Factory Sent Thugs After Me (MotherJones.com):
After meeting India's "sumangali girls," I'll never look at cute, cheap clothes the same way again.

Textile Industry: India's second largest employer, but what's really in for the workers? (International Journal of Research in Commerce, Economics & Management):
The seeds of Indian Textiles were sown early in Indus Valley Civilization and constituting one of the essential needs of human beings, demand for textile and clothing shall never come to a halt. Currently textiles industry is of critical importance to our national economy since it is the second largest after agriculture in terms of providing employment opportunities. Moreover, this sector absorbs a sizable number of people belonging to the weaker sections of the society in general and women in particular. Hence, advancement of this sector has direct bearing on our development and nation building. Notably, a substantial number of firms in this industry cater to the global retail giants. [....] Women workers who are majorly employed in this industry fall prey to sexual exploitation, economic discrimination in contrast to their male counterparts and absence of facilities of toilets and crèches. Studies bring out cases of child labour where children are treated like slaves. Overall, the working environment is stressful, over-tiring, unhealthy and hazardous.

INFO-GRAPHICS: Over 29 Million People Enslaved, Says World’s First Global Slavery Index (We-Designs):
More than 29 million people across the globe live in conditions of modern-day slavery, according to the first index to quantify the scale of forced labor on a country-by-country basis.

47 young labourers rescued from spinning mill in Erode (The Hindu):
Forty-seven young labourers, including 24 from Chhattisgarh and 12 from Assam, most of them girls, were rescued from bondage in P.V. Spinning Mill at Vinnapalli village near Sathyamangalam in Erode district by a team of officials on Monday night. The remaining 11 workers are all girls belonging to various parts of Tamil Nadu.

Clean Clothes Campaign mourns more factory deaths in Bangladesh (Clean Clothes Campaign):
Latest reports suggest that ten workers were killed and over 50 may have been injured when a fire ripped through the Aswad Composite Mills factory in the capital Dhaka at around 6pm on the 8th October. Firefighters took several hours to extinguish the blaze and investigations into the cause of the blaze are now underway.

Fact Sheet Forced Labour: Focus on the role of buying companies (SOMO):
Nobody should be forced to work against their will. Any form of forced labour is a grave violation of human rights. However, in many parts of the world men, women and children are trapped in jobs that they were forced into by coercion or deception. Often, they cannot leave these jobs.
This fact sheet is about forced labour in the textile and garment supply chain. It offers examples of different types of forced and bonded labour. Recommendations are made for garment buying companies to recognise cases of forced labour in their supply chains and to act upon these practices.

Vulnerable Migrant Young Women Workers Exploitation of Garment Companies in Tirupur District, Tamilnadu - An Analytical study (Life Science Journal):
The aim of this study is to describe the experiences of some Young Women migrant workers who have encountered exploitation in their workplaces in garment industries in Tirupur. This study considered the various types of Young Women workers exploitations that migrant workers face in their workplaces. It equally looks at the effects of worker exploitation on migrant Young Women workers, and suggested possible ways that migrant workers could make themselves less vulnerable to workplace exploitation. The findings were divided into three parts. The first part of the finding uncovered the various kinds of exploitative practices the migrants face in their workplaces such as denial of various workers' rights. The second part showed the personal feelings of the exploited persons in response to their experiences. The third part of the finding showed the various negative effects that Young Women workers exploitation produces in the life of the exploited persons such as psychological, physiological, and emotional as well as health effects. The study was able to discover the reasons for migrant workers’ vulnerability to Young Women workers exploitation and the actions that could be taken to reduce the vulnerability of migrant workers in their workplaces.

Me avergüenza tener esclavos (NuevaTribuna.es):
La ropa que llevamos los europeos pero también los españoles está manchada de sangre. Tras los vestidos a 19.95 euros hay muerte, corrupción, explotación, sangre y sufrimiento.
Resulta muy escandaloso y escalofriante ver como 1.127 personas han muerto, 2.438 han resultado heridas y 98 desaparecidas en las últimas semanas en Blangadesh en fábricas insalubres, en donde trabajaban en condiciones infrahumanas, en régimen de esclavitud por un salario que va de los 30 a los 38 euros mensuales.

India’s textile hub Tirupur less likely to witness a garment factory collapse like Bangladesh (The Economic Times):
Tirupur, India's foremost textile hub located close to Coimbatore, has been nervously following Bangladesh in recent years. That started when India's eastern neighbour, what with its duty-free access to Western markets and cheap labour, started snatching prime business away from Tirupur.

Sourcing shifts: Defining parameters of ethical sourcing (Just-Style.com):
Ethical sourcing in the garment and textile industry is a key consideration - not just because it is the right thing to do, but because consumers are keen to know how their clothes and accessories have been produced. But one key question is who sets the parameters of what is ethically sourced?

Le Bangladesh est-il la pire usine textile du monde? (FranceTVInfo.fr):
Le drame du Rana Plaza, qui a fait 1127 morts, est le plus récent d'une longue série au Bangladesh. Mais les ONG enquêtent sur les autres ateliers du monde.
...
Des adolescentes comptent parmi les victimes du drame du Rana Plaza, mais ce phénomène est loin d'être isolé. L'ONG India Committee of the Netherlands s'est penchée sur les Etats indiens du Tamil Nadu et de l'Uttar Pradesh. Dans son rapport 2012 (PDF en anglais), elle note que les enfants ne sont pas directement employés dans les usines d'export, mais dans des lieux de travail modestes, où les inspecteurs du travail ne passent pas.
...

Bring workers’ rights back into fashion (New Internationalist):
Article by Mari Marcel Thekaekara:
It’s May Day as I write this. A few days ago, powerful Bangladeshi writer Rahnuma Ahmed had people across the world in tears, as we read her account of the latest Bangladeshi tragedy: ‘The Stench of Rotting Corpses.’
Rahnuma wrote about the illegally constructed, eight-storey Rana Plaza which collapsed in a heap on the morning of Wednesday 24 April, burying thousands of workers in the five garment factories in the building. Thousands escaped. But, the latest reports say, more than 400 people died. Those who perished instantly were lucky. The others died dreadful deaths, trapped in the rubble with the clock ticking ominously, fully aware that these terrifying hours or minutes were their last. Untrained civil volunteers worked like maniacs, trying to save people. They were weeping, Rahnuma tells us, as they brought each corpse out and anxious mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and children peered frantically at decomposing bodies, hoping desperately it was not their loved one.

Young Women Exploitation in Tirupur Textile & Garment Industries with reference to Sumangali Scheme (International Journal of Engineering and Management Research):
After agriculture, the Textile and Clothing (T&C) Industry is the second largest sector in the Indian economy in terms of output, foreign exchange earnings and providing employment and employment-generating Industry in India. The latest estimates reveals that the direct employment of over 35 million people are engaged with Textile and Garment Industries across India, Tirupur and nearby Coimbatore have long been the centre of a textile and garment industry supplying a national market. Now, Tirupur is declared as a corporation from being just a municipality town, because of its demographic and geographical growth. The Textile Industry in Tamil Nadu particularly Tirupur has been reported to be exploiting young women workers in the spinning and textile units under what is called the “Sumangali Scheme.”

Una ONG cercana al Papa convoca escraches contra Zara en Argentina por "trabajo esclavo" (El Confidencial):
Los escraches regresan a Argentina, el país que los popularizó. Pero el blanco de las protestas no son ahora, como en 1995, los domicilios de los defensores de la dictadura militar que fueron indultados por Carlos Menem, sino las tiendas Zara, buque insignia de Inditex.
...
El historial de denuncias contra la firma española por presuntas prácticas de trabajo esclavo es más amplio. Hace ahora un año, Inditex fue incluida en una lista negra de presunta explotación laboral en la India elaborada por dos prestigiosas ONG holandesas. En el informe, elaborado por el Centre for Research on Multinacional Corporations y el India Committee of the Netherlands, se describía un escenario laboral más que sombrío: miles de niñas y adolescentes del Estado indio de Tamil Nadu trabajando sin contrato, privadas de libertad y en condiciones insalubres durante más de 72 horas a la semana por un salario de 0,88 euros diarios.

Child labour in the Indian textile industry: Rescue of Sumangali Girls (ICN):
Poverty stuck families where agriculture no longer wins them bread, send their daughters to jobs in textile mills under Sumangali scheme, also as a way for getting the girls married because they can earn their dowry in the factories. At least that is one part of the story.
The Indian organization SAVE writes: "Once the girls land into the industry, the core reality hits hard on them. The worst form of exploitation by the management make the workers exhausted and most of the bitter experiences remain unsaid inside the hearts of many girls...."

Wo bleibt die Transparenz? Bericht über die Lieferkette in der indischen Textilbranche (Kampagne für Saubere Kleidung):
In ihrem neuesten Bericht Time for Transparency über die indische Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie rufen das Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) und das India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) zu grundlegender Transparenz in der Lieferkette der Textilbranche auf. SOMO und ICN vertreten die Auffassung, dass nur durch Offenlegung von Informationen bezüglich Unternehmensstruktur, Beschäftigung und Sorgfaltspflicht den Beschäftigten entlang der Lieferkette die Möglichkeit gegeben wird, Menschenrechtsverletzungen anzusprechen und Arbeitsbedingungen zu verbessern.

Time for transparency in the garment industry - The case of the Tamil Nadu textile and garment industry (SOMO/ICN):
In recent years, the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) conducted research into labour rights abuses in the textile and garment industry in Tamil Nadu, India. It became clear that the linkages between the investigated manufacturers and their clientele are very complex, and difficult to unravel. Local factories, well-known clothing brands and retailers only rarely make public who their business partners are. It is difficult to find out where exactly clothing brands source their products. Although, according to international guidelines, enterprises have to map their supply chain and make this information accessible to stakeholders, most companies simply do not come forward with this kind of information. In this latest paper on the Indian textile industry, Time for Transparency, SOMO and ICN elaborate on why the garment industry has to become more transparent. In addition, SOMO and ICN show buyer-supplier connections within the industry that normally remain hidden for consumers and other stakeholders.

Inefficiency of the buyer-driven value chains of big multinational retail houses causes women labour exploitation (International Journal in Multidisciplinary and Academic Research (SSIJMAR)):
United States and European garment brands and retailers have failed in their attempts to structurally improve labor conditions at their suppliers in Tamil Nadu, South India. Despite corporate promises and a range of well-meaning initiatives, workers, mostly very young women, continue to suffer exploitative working conditions. Even today, thousands of women in the garment and textile industry in Tamil Nadu work under recruitment and employment plans that amount to bonded labour. Workers are recruited within as well outside of the state of Tamil Nadu. The majority of the workers are Dalit (outcaste) girls under 18 coming from poor families, who are lured with promises of a decent wage, comfortable accommodation and, in some cases a sum of money upon completion of the contract that may be used for their dowry. These recruitment and employment practices are often referred to as 'Sumangali scheme'.

Trapped in Textile (The New Jurist):
Human Rights abuses of female textile workers in Tamil Nadu and the responsibility of manufacturers and buyers.

Primark eröffnet am Valentinstag auf der Zeil (Frankfurter Rundschau):
Extrem billig und extrem viel: Am heutigen Donnerstag eröffnet auf der Zeil die zweite Frankfurter Filiale des Textildiscounters Primark. Zur großen Freude der einen, zum heftigen Missfallen der anderen. Denn das Erfolgsunternehmen ist keinesfalls unumstritten.

Tailored for Tyranny (FountainInk.in):
Tirupur is India’s knitwear district, a small town in Tamil Nadu that exports garments worth thousands of crores every year. But success is built on a systematic exploitation of workers who are treated as bonded labour, not paid minimum wages and made to work inhuman hours to produce the brands that everyone wears.

Empresas españolas relacionadas con la esclavitud laboral (enFemenino.com):
Trabajan sin contrato; en condiciones insalubres; por salarios abusivos, con sueldos de 0,88 euros al día por jornadas de hasta 12 horas, que en muchos casos no cobran hasta haber cumplido un mínimo de 3 años de trabajo... Son miles de jóvenes (en su mayoría niñas pertenecientes a la casta más baja de la India) del estado de Tamil Nadu, al sur de la India, que son empleadas en condiciones que rozan la esclavitud por empresas textiles del país que luego suministran sus productos a grandes firmas internacionales.

Ganancias empresariales y esclavitud obrera femenina (Rebelión):
El Corte Inglés, sin las ganancias abultadas de otros años, va viento en popa. A Cortefiel tampoco le van mal las cosas. Inditex, que era en 2011 la 120ช empresa del mundo, es en 2012 la 75ช (su valor financiero roza los 66.000 millones de euros). Amancio Ortega, su fundador, es la tercera fortuna más importante del mundo-mundial. Su patrimonio sube como la espuma incluso en momentos de crisis-estafa como los actuales. Su presidente ejecutivo, Pablo Isla, ingresó en 2011 unos 20 millones de euros (se desconocen las cifras de este año).
...
Un documentado informe, Captured by cotton ("Atrapadas en el algodón"), elaborado sobre el terreno con entrevistas a más de un centenar de obreras y ex trabajadoras, además de sindicalistas, miembros de ONG's y académicos, por el prestigioso Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations -una organización holandesa sin ánimo de lucro que analiza a las grandes multinacionales- y el India Committee of the Netherlands -una ONG impulsora de la campaña “Ropas Limpias” contra la explotación vinculada a la producción y comercio textiles- saca o debería sacar los colores a algunos de los gigantes mundiales de la moda.

New Report Documents Fire Safety Cover-ups by US Retailers (International Labor Rights Forum):
Major U.S. apparel companies continue to put at risk the lives of the workers in South Asian factories who sew their clothing by covering up problems identified in confidential audits and ignoring best fire safety practices, according to a new report published today by the Washington, DC-based International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF).

La cara oscura de la moda: explotación infantil (Lógica Ecógica):
Día si y día también, los medios publican listas llenas de éxitos, que si 'los 100 más ricos del mundo', 'Las marcas más rentables' 'las mayores fortunas' ...pero la cara fea de la moda también ve la luz en muchas ocasiones y esos mismo que las lideran, están presentes también en otros índices no tan envidiables. El Confidencial se hacía eco esta semana de un informe creado por el Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations de Holanda y el India Committee of the Netherlands, en la que no se mide el dinero que estas empresas producen, sino la esclavitud que se esconde detrás de cada camiseta o cada pantalón. Titulado Captured by cotton (Atrapadas en el algodón), este informe relata el proceso de reclutamiento, generalmente a través de falsas promesas para una vida mejor, de miles de niñas y jóvenes indias de entre 14 y 20 años por los grandes fabricantes textiles de Tamil Nadu, un estado de la India.

Garment tribunal verdict finds systematic human rights abuse (AsiaFloorWage):
The verdict of a tribunal to assess human rights abuses faced by workers in the Indian garment industry was announced today in Bangalore.