August '25 | About the arbitrary arrest of union leader Daw Myo Myo Aye, the U.S.’s new tariff policies, and more...

In our ongoing commitment to providing insight into the evolving landscape of labor and environmental rights within the textile and garment industry, we offer updates on the latest developments and progress. This edition highlights, through the Textile Incidents List Website, the arbitrary arrest of union leader Daw Myo Myo Aye, her daughter, and other members of the Solidarity Trade Union of Myanmar (STUM), which has drawn international condemnation by the Clean Clothes Campaign and partner organizations. Meanwhile, the U.S.’s new tariff policies are reshaping the garment industry across South and Southeast Asia. 

We hope you find these insights useful! 

Your project team 

STUDIES & REPORTS

Assessing the Reproductive Health Services in Bangalore’s Garment Factories (pdf)

Cividep’s new study on Bangalore’s garment sector reveals significant reproductive health challenges for women workers, especially migrants, who face language barriers, exclusion from health training, and limited access to services. Uterus-related illnesses, insufficient maternity care, and high out-of-pocket expenses force many women to work despite serious health conditions.  

The Fast Fashion Waste Mountain (pdf)

Arisa, in a new report, warns that fast fashion is driving a mounting global textile-waste crisis: 92 million tonnes were produced in 2015 (roughly a garbage truck’s worth every second), with projections rising to 148 million tonnes by 2030. EU residents contribute to nearly 7 million tonnes of textile waste annually.    

Extreme Heat and Labor Rights in the Garment Industry (pdf)

In Dhaka, garment, construction and transport workers endure extreme heat—facing dehydration, fainting, nausea, muscle cramps, vision loss, and even death, a new report by Climate Rights International finds. Acute heat stress that involves manifesting as dehydration, heatstroke, organ damage, and fatal outcomes is a largely unacknowledged human rights crisis in garment production, intensified by relentless climate extremes and the fashion industry's “race to the bottom,” which prioritizes productivity over worker well-being. 

Worker Rights Behind Amazon Sales (pdf)

Amazon Marketplace connects countless small fashion brands to consumers, but this can increase sourcing from smaller suppliers with weak labor protections. Tracing three items to factories in Pakistan revealed sub-minimum wages, excessive hours, no contracts, missing social security, and suppression of union rights. Read the last report by Labour Behind the Lable to know more.  

Enduring Exploitation in Shein’s Supply Chain (pdf) 

China Labor Watch’s investigation based on over 50 worker interviews, numerous site visits, and extensive research conducted from 2019 to 2025 documents severe labor abuses within Shein’s supplier factories in Guangzhou. It reveals persistent issues including wage theft, extremely long working hours, and exploitative piece-rate pay systems.  

NEWS

Arrest of Myanmar Union Leader Sparks Global Calls for Release (New Textile Incident)

Burmese labour leader Daw Myo Myo Aye (56), head of the Solidarity Township Garment Labour Organisation (STUM), was arrested at her Yangon home on 25 July 2025 after authorities forced her son to kneel at gunpoint to compel the handover of digital devices, and confiscated her belongings and money. On 28 and 29 July, other STUM staff including Myo Myo Ayes daughter were arrested, and all three STUM offices, including one from an affiliated organisation, were sealed. Their whereabouts remain unknown, medicine access has been blocked, and they are feared to be held in the Shwe Pyi Thar interrogation center. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and partner organisations condemned the arrests as violations of international law, demanding immediate release, legal access, and international support for Myanmar’s labour defenders.  

Podcast: Die Schattenseiten der Mode (in German)

In the utopia.de podcast, FEMNET expert Emma Wentzel describes the extreme working conditions in global garment production, where around 80% of workers are women. Dismissals after brief illness, twelve-hour shifts, and dramatically low wages are conditions that are not accidental but a calculated system designed to maximize profit. Alongside accounts of exploitation, the episode highlights examples of successful resistance and political gains, like the Supply Chain Acts—though many of these are now under threat. 

Workers Protest Against Factory Closure of NEXT, Sri Lanka (New Textile Incident)

On 19 May 2025, NEXT PLC shut its only unionised Sri Lankan plant, affecting 1,400 workers, despite £1.08 billion in projected profit. The union calls the move unlawful and a breach of a collective agreement, accusing the company of union suppression. Many remain unemployed, with demands for reinstatement and rights protection ongoing. 

U.S. TARIFFS

The U.S.’s tariff policies are reshaping the garment industry across South and Southeast Asia, with stark consequences for workers’ rights.

Bangladesh narrowly avoided a proposed 50% duty by securing a 20% tariff, safeguarding millions of mostly female jobs but still facing economic pressure from aid cuts and climate threats.

India, unable to reach a deal, now faces a combined 50% tariff, forcing exporters to absorb losses or shift production abroad, endangering worker security.

Cambodia’s negotiated 19% tariff is credited with preventing the collapse of a sector employing nearly one million women. Labor advocates warn that high tariffs and unstable trade terms risk eroding wages, safety measures, and training programs, while pushing vulnerable women into informal, unprotected work. 

PRODUCTION COUNTRIES

Bangladesh

The Hidden Human Cost of Fast Fashion

Former garment industry worker Itrat Anwar recalls witnessing unsafe, exhausting, and underpaid conditions in Bangladeshi factories, where most employees were women. He describes 14–16 hour shifts, toxic fumes, lack of ventilation, blocked emergency exits, and months of unpaid wages. While some reforms followed, many brands shifted production to cheaper countries.  

Ein schwieriger Neuanfang (in German)

One year after Sheikh Hasina’s ousting, hopes for change face obstacles as corruption and inequality persist. The transitional government struggles with limited authority, rising US textile tariffs, and preparing for LDC exit. Free elections in early 2026 are planned, but clientelism, press restrictions, and marginalization of women remain pressing issues.

India

India's Textile Recycling Crisis: A Documentary (video)

India has become the world's textile dumping ground, receiving vast quantities of discarded clothing from Western countries. Workers in recycling plants face hazardous conditions, including exposure to toxic chemicals and lack of protective equipment. For a comprehensive insight into this issue, you can watch the full 101 East documentary by Aljazeera.  

NETWORK & EVENTS

Monday, 15th September 2025, 7pm - 9pm CET, Online Lecture:
Gesundheitsrisiken für Frauen in der Schuh- und Textilindustrie (in German)
The Speyer Adult Education Center (VHS Speyer) will host a free online lecture with Mona Meyer of FEMNET. The session will explore the specific risks and challenges faced by women in the garment and footwear industry in India and Indonesia with a special focus on home-based and migrant workers. Participants will learn more about the real working conditions of women in global textile production and discuss ways to improve working and living conditions. Registration is required. 

Thursday, 25th September 2025, 6:30pm - 9pm CET, Workshop at the Volkshochschule Neuss, Germany:
Richtig gute Kleidung: So erkennen Sie faire und nachhaltige Mode (in German) 
FEMNET will host a workshop titled “Richtig gute Kleidung: So erkennen Sie faire und nachhaltige Mode” at the Volkshochschule Neuss (RomaNEum, Room 1.24). Marijke Mulder of FEMNET will help participants understand how to identify high-quality, chemical-free, or fair-produced clothing. The session will also cover the sustainability and environmental aspects of different fiber materials and blends and explore alternatives to buying new. Registration is required.  

25th November - 10th December 2025, Campaign:
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (in German)  
The 16 Days of Activism is a global campaign to raise awareness and demand action to end gender-based violence, a crisis that claims the lives of women and girls every day. It serves as a vital moment to push forward the vision of gender equality set out in the Beijing Declaration.