December '25 | About weakened CSDDD rules, major labour reforms in Asia, and escalating workplace dangers from Dhaka to Karachi
In our ongoing commitment to providing insight into the evolving landscape of labor and environmental rights within the textile and garment industry, we share with you the latest developments. This edition highlights growing concern in Europe as the EU’s due-diligence rules are scaled back and new analyses expose major shortcomings in the German Supply Chain Act, nationwide union protests sparked by India’s new labour codes, and widespread violations of workers’ rights in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, particularly affecting women’s ability to unionize.
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STUDIES & REPORTS
Unpicking the German Supply Chain Act (pdf)
The new report, Unpicking the German Supply Chain Act, published jointly by FEMNET and ECCHR, and National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan (NTUF), offers a critical assessment of how the LkSG is functioning in practice. Their findings show that many labour-rights violations in global supply chains, including in garment factories, remain unresolved despite brands’ formal due-diligence obligations. Even when confronted with evidence from hundreds of workers, issues such as unpaid wages and inadequate remediation efforts were often met with limited or ineffective corporate responses.
Recycling's Invisible Labour: Insights from Arisa's New Report (pdf)
Arisa’s new publication, The Human Cost of Textile Recycling, brings vital attention to the largely invisible workforce powering India’s vast recycling industry. While the sector plays a key role in transforming global textile waste into new yarns, the report highlights that many workers face low wages, excessive working hours, and hazardous conditions. These findings challenge the perception of recycled textiles as inherently sustainable, reminding the industry that environmental gains cannot come at the expense of worker wellbeing.
Widespread Denial of Union Rights in South Asia's Garment Industry (pdf)
Amnesty International has released a report revealing widespread violations of workers’ rights in the garment sectors of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, where predominantly female workers are systematically denied the right to unionize and collectively bargain. Workers experience harassment, intimidation, forced informal contracts, and even violent suppression when attempting to organize. Despite many brands claiming to uphold “freedom of association” in their policies, independent trade unions are almost entirely absent in their supply chains, turning such promises into empty statements rather than real change.
CCC Unveils New Living Wage Roadmap for the Garment Industry (pdf)
The Clean Clothes Campaign has launched a new Living Wage Roadmap, outlining concrete steps brands must take to finally ensure workers earn enough to cover basic needs and support their families. The roadmap rejects voluntary commitments and calls for enforceable standards that make living wages a non-negotiable part of responsible sourcing. It offers a clear blueprint for brands, policymakers, and advocates seeking to close the gap between stagnant wages and rising living costs across global supply chains.
DW Report Exposes Gaps Between Fashion Brand's Green Promises and Reality
There are nearly 500 sustainability claims from major European fashion brands, and many of them fall short of their own promises. While a growing number of labels promote low-carbon targets, recycled materials and eco-friendly supply chains, public commitments often lack independent verification, meaningful reductions in emissions or transparency about working conditions. These superficial “green” efforts might risk amounting to nothing more than greenwashing if not backed by rigorous supply-chain reforms and honest reporting.
NEWS
EU Scales Back Corporate Supply-Chain Rules
The European Council and Parliament have agreed on a provisional version of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) that significantly narrows its scope. Only the largest companies, those with over 5,000 employees and €1.5 billion in turnover, will now be required to monitor and address human rights and environmental risks across their supply chains. The law also drops the previously mandatory requirement for climate transition plans, reducing the pressure on companies to take meaningful action on emissions. These changes weaken workers and environmental protections and limit the EU’s ability to hold businesses accountable for harm in global supply chains.
ILO Releases First‑Ever Global Guidelines to Ensure Decent Work in Recycling Chains
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has published its first-ever guidelines to ensure decent work throughout recycling chains, recognising the essential yet often undervalued role of waste workers in the circular economy. The guidelines provide practical measures for governments, employers, and workers, covering health and safety, decent wages, social protection, and the elimination of forced or child labor. They emphasize formalizing recycling work and protecting workers’ rights without compromising the environmental benefits of recycling.
Ombudswoman Rebukes EU Commission for Undermining Climate and Human Rights Protections
A formal investigation by the European Ombudsman has found that the European Commission committed “maladministration” when rolling back key environmental and human‑rights protections under 2025’s “simplification” reforms. The Ombudsman’s report criticises the Commission for bypassing required impact assessments, limiting stakeholder consultations and failing to carry out mandatory climate‑consistency evaluations before weakening laws. Civil society organisations reacted sharply, warning the decision undermines transparency and democratic lawmaking, and that future “omnibus simplification” efforts must not sacrifice fundamental rights for efficiency.
Bangladesh
12 Years After Rana Plaza collapse: Amazon Still Refuses to Protect Bangladeshi Garment Workers
Twelve years after the Rana Plaza collapse, which killed over 1,100 garment workers, many factories in Bangladesh remain unsafe. While the legally binding Accord was created to prevent such disasters, Amazon has refused to sign it or its successor agreements, despite sourcing from these factories. Labour activists warn that the company’s focus on fast, cheap production leaves workers exposed to unsafe conditions, and calls are growing for Amazon to commit to safety, fair wages, and union rights, but so far, the company has resisted.
Bangladesh’s RMG Future at Stake - Urgent Call to Align with EU Green Deal
The future of Bangladesh’s booming ready‑made garments (RMG) exports is under serious threat unless the country quickly implements a national plan for product traceability and sustainability. With 92 % of Bangladesh’s garment exports heading to the European Union (EU), compliance with the upcoming EU Green Deal, including requirements like the Digital Product Passport (DPP), is vital. Speakers at a recent policy dialogue in Dhaka urged the government to draft a “National Traceability Strategy,” improve data‑infrastructure, offer green financing, and ensure even small subcontractors meet standards. Without these steps, Bangladesh risks losing competitiveness in its main market, especially as brands demand environmental and labour transparency.
Revival Plan for Beximco at Risk as Janata Bank Moves to Auction Factories
A deal to revive Beximco’s textile factories that could potentially save thousands of jobs is now in jeopardy. Just a day after a planned lease agreement with Revival Group, Janata Bank issued auction notices for six factories, including land, buildings, and machinery. The move threatens Revival’s plan and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers, highlighting how banking pressures can derail industrial recovery efforts.
Bangladesh’s Garment Jobs Lag Behind Export Boom
Bangladesh’s ready-made garment exports have tripled over the past 15 years, rising from US$12.5 billion in 2010 to around US$40 billion in 2024. Yet employment has barely grown, hovering around 4 million jobs, with automation and efficiency gains meaning far fewer workers are needed per export dollar. Female participation has dropped sharply, from over 3.75 million in 2013 to about 1.95 million today. Experts warn that without more jobs, better skills training, and support for women, Bangladesh’s export growth may fail to benefit the wider population.
Gazipur Garment Workers Protest Unpaid Wages
Workers at Honeywell Garments Ltd in Konabari, Gazipur staged a protest after their October salaries were delayed, padlocking the factory gate and demanding immediate payment. Authorities, including industrial police, intervened and negotiations between workers and management are ongoing. The incident highlights continuing unrest in Gazipur’s garment sector, where unpaid wages and delayed payments risk sparking further protests and disruptions.
India
India Implements Major Labour Reforms Amid Union Protests
Over the past six years, India has introduced and gradually consolidated four major labour codes, replacing 29 older laws with a framework to provide minimum wages, social security, timely pay, and formal protections for all workers, including contract and gig staff. Supporters argue the reforms modernize India’s labour laws, simplify compliance, and extend protections to millions of previously informal workers. However, major trade unions have condemned the codes, warning they weaken job security, undermine collective bargaining, and reinstate controversial night shifts for women.
Myanmar
Myanmar Garment Workers Pressured to Vote for Junta-Backed Party
Workers in factories around Yangon report being pressured by employers and junta-appointed local administrators to vote for the military’s proxy party, Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), in the upcoming election. Many had their names registered by local offices, and now factories are asking them to submit additional voter-registration forms and signalling that refusing could carry consequences. Some workers said they have no interest in voting but feel they might be forced if pressure increases.
Pakistan
Karachi Garment Workers Struggle Under Extreme Heat
Garment workers in Karachi are facing dangerously high temperatures in factories, often exceeding 38–40 °C, while major global brands, including H&M, Zara, GAP, MANGO, ASOS, C&A, NA‑KD, NEXT, and IKEA, continue to source from these sites without proper protection. Many workers report feeling dizzy, nauseous, or fainting during long 10–12‑hour shifts in poorly ventilated factories. In response, Climate Rights International (CRI) and 44 other labour, climate, and sustainable fashion organisations sent a joint letter urging the International Accord for Worker Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry to update its mandate to cover climate‑related hazards, including extreme heat.
Massive Fire Destroys Garment Factory in Karachi
A massive fire engulfed a three‑storey garment factory in Karachi’s Landhi Export Processing Zone, causing the building to collapse after hours of firefighting. Hundreds of workers on duty at the time were evacuated safely, while neighbouring factories were cleared as a precaution. The fire spread rapidly, fueled by large stocks of combustible clothing materials. Authorities suspect an electrical short circuit as the cause and have launched an investigation to determine whether proper fire‑safety measures were in place. This incident is the sixth factory fire in the Landhi EPZ this year, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in the area.
NETWORK & EVENTS
Wednesday, 25 February 2026, 09:00–18:00 CET – Retrakt Conference 2026 in at forum M, Aachen, Germany
"From linear to circular" – The textile and fashion sector is facing huge changes
The Retrakt Conference 2026 gathers stakeholders from textile supply chains: workers, unions, brands, regulators, and civil‑society groups, to reflect on progress, challenges, and pathways toward truly transparent, sustainable, and rights‑respecting fashion. The day features panels, data‑driven sessions, and participatory workshops aimed at tackling environmental impacts, labour rights, and corporate accountability in the global apparel industry. Participants will review recent developments, from living‑wage initiatives to regulatory rollbacks, and help shape collective strategies for supply‑chain due diligence. Registration is required.
We invite you to contribute events and networking opportunities for future editions by contacting us at
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