As the EU and the entire world face an unprecedented health and economic crisis, the textiles, garments, leather and footwear supply-chain is particularly hard hit. On the one hand, two major production hubs (China and Italy) have been severely affected by the virus, causing significant disruption on the supply side. On the other, a collapse of demand has, in turn, led to brands and retailers breaking contracts, cancelling orders, delaying shipments and asking for discounts from suppliers. As brands cancel their orders, the consequences are being disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable in the supply chain, namely the workers and farmers. Although the negative impact is widespread, contract labourers, home based workers, migrants, daily wage workers and piece rate workers are especially at risk. Order cancellations lead to immediate loss of current and future wages, which is dramatic for workers, farmers and the families they support since social protection coverage is absent or limited in most production countries. These economic shocks are further aggravated by the major public health crisis and resulting government-mandated lockdowns in many producer countries.
While the scale and the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis may not have been foreseen, it does further bring to light the fragility and the power imbalances of the textile, garment, leather and footwear (TGLF) value chain. Once the COVID-19 crisis has been overcome and these supply chains need to be rebuilt, we must ensure that these become more resilient and equitable. Although the Shadow European Strategy for Sustainable Textile, Garments, Leather and Footwear was formulated before the COVID-19 crisis, it contains the necessary tools for a more robust and fair TGLF sector.

See the links above and the leaflet infographic and the FAQ