Better Work remains committed to supporting workers, employers, and government partners in the garment sector during this period of unprecedented disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The garment industry reported catastrophic losses in the first half of 2020. Only 3 in 5 workers returned to factory jobs, and women have been disproportionately affected. Better Works teams around the world have been redeployed to offer support to factories and workers on crucial health and safety issues including reopening guidelines, provide policy advice, and help bring partners together to develop joint responses at the national and international levels.

This web page is updated regularly with the latest information on the situation in countries where Better Work operates and offers reliable policy responses and resources. As the Covid-19 vaccine is made available more widely, we will continue to monitor how the situation affects the apparel industry and its workers.

Stories from the field

Country Responses to COVID-19

Status of Lockdown Measures and Factory Services is based on a three-phase framework that categorises interventions based on local circumstances. The phases are not mutually exclusive; the status of factory production and mobility restrictions may move between phases based on how the pandemic evolves within countries.

Phase 1: Factory production is suspended; on-site factory visits by ILO staff are suspended.

Phase 2: Factory production is partially or fully resumed; on-site factory visits by ILO staff are suspended due to COVID restrictions.

Phase 3: Factory production is partially or fully resumed; all or partial on-site factory visits by ILO staff are possible.

Bangladesh

Phase: Bangladesh is currently in Phase 2

Training and Advisory: Virtual advisory and training services are ongoing.

Assessments: For the time, onsite assessments have been suspended, and all services are being conducted virtually.

Egypt

Phase: Egypt is currently in Phase 3

Training and Advisory: Advisory services started in July 2020 virtually but have transitioned to on-site visits, which have continued into 2021.

Assessments: Onsite assessments are being offered by ILO consultants.

Indonesia

Phase: Indonesia is currently in Phase 3

Training and Advisory: Virtual advisory and training services are ongoing.

Assessments: For the time, onsite assessments have been suspended, and all services are being conducted virtually.

Cambodia

Phase: Cambodia is currently in Phase 3

Training and Advisory: Virtual advisory and training services are ongoing.

Assessment: For the time, onsite assessments have been suspended, and all services are being conducted virtually.

Ethiopia

Phase: Ethiopia is currently in Phase 3

Training and Advisory: Virtual advisory and training services are available. The programme is slowly resuming onsite advisory visits with ILO authorization.

Assessments: Onsite assessments have now resumed.

Nicaragua

Phase: Nicaragua is currently in Phase 3

Training and Advisory: Virtual advisory and training services are ongoing.

Assessments: For the time, onsite assessments have been suspended, and all services are being conducted virtually.

Haiti

Phase: Haiti is currently in Phase 2

Training and Advisory: Virtual advisory and training services are being conducted.

Assessments: Joint onsite assessments with the Ministry of Labour have resumed.

Jordan

Phase: Jordan is currently in Phase 3

Training and Advisory: Virtual advisory, industrial seminars, and training have been ongoing.

Assessments: For the time, onsite assessments have been suspended, and all services are being conducted virtually.

Vietnam

Phase: Vietnam is currently in Phase 2

Training and Advisory: On-site advisory continues for Better Work Vietnam, combined with continued virtual advisory and training.

Assessments: On-site assessment has now resumed where possible.

Better Work and COVID-19

Stories from the field

Country Responses to COVID-19