// Primark backs UN’s call for fashion industry stakeholders to support garment workers affected by coronavirus
// The UN’s International Labour Organisation called for “urgent collaboration” across the fashion industry
// Aims to ensure business continuity, payment of wages & income support, and to protect “health & livelihoods of millions of garment workers”
Primark has endorsed the UN’s call for fashion industry stakeholders to support garment industry workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO) called for “urgent collaboration” across the fashion industry to help protect garment industry workers across the world from the impact that Covid-19 has had on the sector.
The ILO’s announcement, made yesterday, aims to mobilise sufficient funding to ensure business continuity, payment of wages as well as income support, and job retention schemes to protect the “health and livelihoods of millions of garment workers and their families”.
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Employers, workers, fashion retailers and major brands involved in the collaboration will form an international working group – convened by the ILO – to help control and prevent as much damage as possible caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Primark has been working closely with the ILO and its own suppliers to help deliver the necessary support to those affected by the crisis.
“The importance of this initiative led by the ILO cannot be overstated,” Primark ethical trade and environmental sustainability director Katharine Stewart said.
“The manufacturers and their workers in the garment supply chain are in urgent need of funding from global financial institutions and governments in order to protect jobs and get through this crisis.
“Longer term, we hope this initiative will also support the introduction or strengthening of schemes many of us take for granted, such as employment protection and health benefits.
“It will take the collective efforts of all the signatories to make this call to action a reality.”
Earlier this week, Primark committed to pay suppliers for £370 million of additional orders further to the stock that is already in store, depots and transit.
It also established a wages fund for garment factory workers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam to be paid as soon as possible for work on garments in production.
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