The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented test for industrial relations systems in garment-producing countries and an existential threat to many factories and workers in the industry as a whole. At the onset of the pandemic, global brands cancelled billions of dollars’ worth of orders, suppliers furloughed or dismissed millions of workers, and unions and CSOs fought for the wages workers are owed. This crisis has proven to be the ultimate “stress test” on social dialogue systems globally.

In this 60 minute session the New Conversations Project and the Strategic Partnership for Garment Supply Chain Transformation will share the results of research done in ten garment producing countries on the impact of social dialogue on Covid-19 responses, focusing on the workings of social dialogue mechanisms in the cases of Ethiopia and Myanmar. In a discussion with researchers, trade unionists and brand representatives we will discuss whether this research reflects the reality each stakeholder faced and ask the big questions about social dialogue in apparel: Does social dialogue work as a way to cope with COVID? Can it re-distribute risk and cost more fairly along the supply chain? Where, under what conditions, and on what scale?

Speakers include:
Tina Rogers, Fair Wear Foundation - moderator
Jason Judd, New Conversation's Project
Samuel Andreas Admasie, Researcher International Institute of Social History
Thet Hnin Aung, MICS Union Federation in Myanmar
Joy Roeterdink, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Suitsupply

To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItcOmurjgsHdFQ9TEdQor_2vnJY9_JGLpq