KARACHI - More than a million garment and textile workers in Pakistan are set to lose their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis and most will get no financial support to ease the blow, according to trade union leaders.In an exclusive interview with Ecotextile News, Nasir Mansoor, deputy general secretary of the National Trade Union Federation in Pakistan, said most factories in the south-eastern Sindh province, the hub of the country's textile and garment industry, had closed because of a

The textile and apparel industry has been enduring profit erosion for the last couple of years. The expanded size of factories makes them more vulnerable. Bigger the size stronger the need to feed them for survival. The rapid expansion of the production capacity of factories shows counteracting signals to business.Figure 1: Rightsizing of the apparel business is not merely required to combat the current critical situation rather it is required even in a plain situation as a sustainable business

Five more global fashion brands—three European and two North American—yesterday assured Bangladeshi exporters of receiving readymade garments already manufactured or in the process of being made, while. Exporters welcomed the development in the face of cancellation of orders or halted shipments by many global buyers.Pic: ShutterstockSpanish clothing company Inditex, British multinational retailer Marks and Spencer, French retail company Kiabi and US retail companies PVH and Target informed the B

STOCKHOLM - The H&M Foundation has revealed the five innovative winners of its 2020 Global Change Award who will receive financial support totalling €1 million (US$1.1 million).They range from lab-grown cotton and creating fabrics from protein DNA, to tracking sustainable fibres by using blockchain technology, wastewater separation and converting carbon dioxide into sustainable polyester.The non-profit said it felt it was important to continue with its Global Change Awards, now in their fift

XINJIANG – The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has set up what it describes as an expert task force to investigate allegations of the use of forced labour in areas such as the Xinjiang region of China.It comes after the BCI finally announced earlier this month that it wasfor the upcoming cotton season over persistent allegations of forced labour by Uyghur prisoners.The task force has been charged with reviewing the relevant elements of the BCI’s Better Cotton Standard System, and with producing r

LONDON - An interdisciplinary team of students is working together to make fabrics from salt-tolerant plants grown in seawater in a bid to reduce the amount of freshwater consumed by the textiles industry.The students – from the Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art – are planning to launch a start-up, SaltyCo, to bring their innovative products to market.Insulating jacket liners, faux leather and clothing, including t-shirts and trousers, could all potentially be made with the fa

Advanced textiles to apparel manufacturers are turning to their creative ways to support the fight against the invisible enemy.As the coronavirus is a novel strain, vaccines and medications are not yet readily available to treat the infected, good hygiene practices will play a greater part in preventing its transmission.Figure:As the coronavirus is a novel strain, vaccines and medications are not yet readily available to treat the infected.The textiles sector has received greater attention from

Lack of sufficient electricity supply, counterfeiting and smuggling are some of the biggest problems affecting the Nigerian textile industry, which cannot revive unless the government supports the it using a holistic approach, according topresident Folorunsho Daniyan, who was elected recently.Pic: ShutterstockA major problem for the sector is the cost of energy: cost of gas for those in the south and that of black oil for those in the north that are yet to be connected to the gas pipeline. Gover

The world people have been going through an unprecedented situation of lockdown due to dangerous Coronavirus. The whole world is just in a standstill due to fear of Coronavirus fear. The economy of the world also faces unexpected lockdown as most of the flights globally have been either suspended or canceled. Factories, industries, shopping malls, restaurants, food courts and what not have been closed. People are fearing of losing their jobs and companies are fearing shutdown their operations.Fi

The National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry in South Africa recently ratified South Africa's first COVID-19 Lockdown National Collective Agreement. The collective agreement was concluded following quick national-level negotiations between the parties to the clothing industry bargaining council.Pic: ShutterstockThe signatories to the clothing industry agreement are the Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU), the Apparel & Textile Associ