MSN Publications and Collaborative Work

Workers in crisis in the garment industry in Mexico: a conversation with the Worker Support Centre

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the lives and livelihoods of workers in Mexico’s garment industry. Nearly a year after the start of the health and socio-economic crisis, the Worker Support Centre (CAT, in Spanish) has authored two reports on the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on garment maquila workers in the State of Morelos.

Common Wage Violations in Mexico’s Garment Industry (December 2020)

MSN Briefing Paper prepared for the Mexico Committee of the Americas Group

Common Wage Violations in Mexico’s Garment Industry provides guidance to international brands and manufacturers sourcing and producing apparel products in Mexico on wage violations that are widespread in the sector and how to effectively address them.

Global network of labour rights and union organizations calls on brands to guarantee garment workers receive full pay

On June 1, the Clean Clothes Campaign, in which MSN is an active member, launched a campaign calling on global garment and footwear brands to guarantee workers in their supply chains are paid their full salaries during the COVID crisis. The wage payment demand is central to the global network's broader call that brands, retailers, governments and other stakeholders work together to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers and, moving forward, to ensure that workers receive living wages and a social safety net.

Garment workers on poverty pay are left without billions of their wages during pandemic

Image: Clean Clothes Campaign

Millions of garment workers around the world have not received their regular wages, or have not been paid at all since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, reveals a new report launched today by Clean Clothes Campaign.

The report, "Un(der)paid in the pandemic,” analyzes nonpayment and underpayment of wages to garment workers during the months of March, April and May resulting from order cancellations by apparel brands, unpaid leave imposed on workers by employers, and state-sanctioned wage cuts during the Covid-19 crisis.

COVID-19: Call to Action a First Step toward Mitigating Impact of Pandemic on Workers

Image: Kalpona Akter, Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity

On April 22, the International Organization of Employers (IOE), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Global Unions announced a joint call to action by garment industry employer and worker organizations, major garment brands and retailers aimed at mitigating the catastrophic impact that the Covid-19 pandemic is having on the heath and livelihoods of workers in the global garment industry. COVID-19: Action in the Global Garment Industry sets out urgent priorities and includes some general commitments from brands and retailers.

Brands and retailers need to step up now to protect garment workers

Image: CCC

MSN is joining with other organizations in the world-wide Clean Clothes Campaign network in calling for action from brands, retailers, governments and other stakeholders to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those most exploited in global supply chains and to build towards a future in which workers have access to living wages and a social safety net.

Original Timeline for the implementation of the labour reform in Mexico (2019-2023)

On April 29, 2019 the Mexican congress approved a comprehensive labour justice reform that directly impacts workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. In this resource MSN provides a timeline for the implementation of the reform highlighting important landmarks throughout the 2019-2023 period.

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