The past five years have seen major disruptions in the global garment industry, including the global pandemic in 2020, the growth of fast fashion and e-commerce, widespread closures and mass layoffs, the expansion of private equity-controlled brand management companies, and more recently, sweeping changes to global trade starting in 2025.*

The wave of factory closures and mass layoffs in garment manufacturing facilities in Central America has had a devastating impact on garment workers, their families and their unions.

A national and international campaign led by a garment workers’ union in the Philippines and supported by international labour rights organizations has won a negotiated agreement to respect the workers’ associational rights at the MetroWear Two factory in the Mactan Export Processing Zone. The factory produces sportwear for the Canadian-based athletic apparel company lululemon.