|
|
|
|
|
One Big
Thing:
Do you support global worker
protections and rights as COVID-19 impacts
livelihoods? | |
What is it?
- As
the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect
everyday life across the globe, workers’ rights
have come under fire. With stores, shops, and
malls closing their doors to practice social
distancing, there has been a
global drop in demand for many everyday
items. Down the supply chain, many of the
workers who produce these items are being laid
off, often without pay or compensation for the
goods they already produced.
- In
Bangladesh, many garment manufacturers were not
paid for the work they had already completed
because of lower global demand. This has led to
the firing
or furlough of more than one million Bangladeshi
garment workers since the start of COVID-19.
- The
Chinese government also forcibly
relocated over 30,000 Muslim Uighurs to keep
factories open in COVID-19 affected areas
which reflects China’s complete disregard for
worker’s rights.
- Migrant
workers have particularly been impacted by
COVID-19. In India, an estimated 139
million internal migrant workers have been
impacted. And cross-border migrants,
numbering more than 160 million worldwide, have
suffered as host countries have not provided
adequate protections or deported them. This
has been an acute problem in Middle Eastern
countries.
Why is it important?
- Low
wage workers around the world in many sectors
have been severely impacted by the sudden impact
of COVID-19. Government and company
responses have been varied depending on the
country, but the most vulnerable of workers in
the developing world fear not only for their
jobs, but for food security and health.
- During
a public health crisis, maintaining workers’
rights is just as much the task of the
government as it is the companies themselves.
When demand unexpectedly drops, both parties
should work together to find solutions which
value their employees’ rights and compensates
them fairly for work already completed.
- Consumers
should have an awareness of where and how their
goods and services come from and adapt
purchasing practices to fully respect understand
workers’ rights.
- Authoritarian
regimes are using coronavirus as a means to
limit basic rights – freedom of speech, freedom
of assembly, freedom of the press. In
places like Burma
(Myanmar) and Cambodia, the governments and
local industries are taking advantage of the
crisis to suppress unions and
workers.
What can you do?
| |
|
Copyright
© 2020 McCain Institute. We Hold These Truths is a
nonpartisan effort of the McCain Institute. It
does not support or oppose any political party or
candidate.
Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2020
6:03 PM
Subject: One Big Thing: Do you
support global worker protections and rights as
COVID-19 impacts livelihoods?
| | |
------------- * ENWL * ------------
Ecological North West
Line * St. Petersburg, Russia
Independent Environmental Net
Service
Russian: ENWL (North West), ENWL-inf (FSU), ENWL-misc (any
topics)
English: ENWL-eng (world information)
Send information to
en...@lew.spb.org,
enwl...@lew.spb.org,
en...@lew.spb.org,
en...@lew.spb.orgSubscription, Moderator:
vf...@lew.spb.org or
en...@enw.net.ruArchive:
http://groups.google.com/group/enwl/Additionally:
http://www.enwl.net.ru/ (C) Please refer to exclusive articles of
ENWL
-------------------------------------
