FW
Workers’ wellbeing is of prime importance when it comes to manufacturing industries. Workers who have life skills, it has been found, make fewer mistakes, are more productive at work and have lower rates of absenteeism. Besides, if attention is paid to workers’ wellbeing and investment is made thereof, it has several societal benefits, which is the main step in bettering the industry’s work conditions and dealing with the humanitarian crisis of the industry.
Why workers wellbeing is important?
Workers’ wellbeing was promoted by Henry Ford, who was also the first business leader to do this, albeit for business reasons. Costs were rising and production of Model T was being delayed due to worker absences and turnovers. All this was seriously affecting the business’s bottom line. Thus, developing countries that wish to regain their manufacturing competitiveness have to only follow Ford’s example of workers’ wellbeing equals productivity.
Because when their wellbeing is looked into, they feel good about themselves and with their work. And when they’re empowered to become leaders of their own lives, they become motivated to innovate and be creative. Therefore, when workers are equipped with knowledge to develop their emotional and cognitive social skills, along with experiencing life benefits, they become active contributors to their work environments. These skills could range from health, to education, or work.
If a worker, for instance have access to education on civic participation or making financial goals, they become equipped with personal agency, teamwork and leadership skills. If they are in charge of their own health, their mental or reproductive rights, their work and personal lives improve. In totality, all this leads to greater productivity and reduced costs for businesses.
Satisfied worker leads to more productivity
Ileana López, Head of Sustainability at the C&A Foundation, Mexico, wanted to see if Yo Quiero Yo Puedo would be willing to test its life-skills and personal-agency programmes with seamstresses in a dress factory, a few years ago. Mexico is known for its high number of working hours and very low productivity. And at Yo Quiero Yo Puedo (IMIFAP), there are many reports from Mexican businesses of the high rotation of personnel, increasing absenteeism, low worker morale, too many mistakes along the production line, and not enough productivity.
Yo Quiero Yo Puedo, with the C&A’s support, designed and launched the programme—‘Yo quiero, yo puedo… cuidarme y ser productive’ (I want to, I can… take care of myself and be productive).
In this programme, supervisors undergo 40 hours of life skills and knowledge facilitation, and they in turn replicate the programme during 15 minutes a week with their seamstresses. More than 1,200 supervisors and workers have participated and till date 15 companies have been a part of this programme. The programme has made a statistically (and humanly) significant difference in work satisfaction and productivity.
Satisfaction within the workplace increased by 37.5 per cent, reported the participating companies, and the number of supervisors who stated they had a better personal-work life balance tripled. Also, absenteeism dropped by 25 per cent and the number of pieces produced with mistakes was reduced by 60 per cent. Factories improved their efficiency and workers found their power in less than 1,500 minutes of interaction.
Thus, concluding, it is safe to assume the enabling workers’ wellbeing isn’t just limited to the workplace. People recognise they have greater rights and more possibilities, when empowered to direct their own lives and act as agents of change. So, improving workers’ wellbeing should not be transactional (e.g., giving people money, gifts, clothes, etc.) but it must be an intrinsic empowerment.
www.candafoundation.org
Hindustan Zinc trains women in villages of Rajasthan to make designer garments. They are been equipped with skills like embroidery work and trained in intricacies. These women make garments like saris, salwar kurtas, kurtis and kaftans. They are given guidance by stylists.
Hindustan Zinc has been engaged in empowerment of rural and tribal women of Rajasthan since 2006 through formation of self-help-groups. The project has developed product-based clusters to strengthen the social and economic conditions of these women. Clusters of fashion garments, school uniforms, home furnishing, candle making, spices, floor mats, pickle, papad and paper craft have already been developed that have been successful in bringing sustainable empowerment to hundreds of these rural and tribal women.
The company’s focus is to develop a hub of artisans who can help fashion designers from across the country, fashion students and other fashion experts. It is not easy to find such a hub of talent especially in one place and this is expected to be useful for the fashion industry. With this cluster, Hindustan Zinc is aiming to create a sustainable employment for these women. And this is also expected to encourage thousands of rural women to take up this creative art.
www.hzlindia.com
ITMA, which will held from November 12-19, 2015, will have Karl Mayer as innovative market leader who is setting the trend with new technologies and services.
Karl Mayer will showcase that it stands for trend-setting new innovations in warp knitting and warp preparation at ITMA. This is an image, which the manufacturer emphasises by a fresh, modern appearance at the trade fair and by a new corporate design.
A new HKS 2-SE high-speed machine with a unique performance profile will particularly be showcased by Karl Mayer in hall 5, C 101. An important feature is the Low Energy Option (LEO) as a contribution to sustainability.
The manufacturer will also showcase the HKS 4-M-EL high-speed tricot machine. This new tricot machine is a flexible, highly efficient all-round machine, which is equipped with EL control. A multi-bar raschel machine equipped with fall plate, in a working width of 242" and another lace machine for producing lace bands and outerwear is sure to please lace manufacturers.
Two new innovations with the focus on flexibility for the warp preparation sector have been developed by the manufacturer—a sectional warping machine, which can be extended from a standard equipment into a weaving preparation machine for special applications, and a warp sampling machine with a previously unreached working width, thus, opening up new applications.
The size box making a contribution to the subject of sustainability in sizing, and an innovative technology for the denim dyeing sector, that are setting new standards in terms of product quality is another highlight. Moreover, Karl Mayer will also demonstrate that it has extended its all-round technical customer support services on a modular-based concept, together with all these new technical developments.
www.karlmayer.com
The IAF will be an active participant in the Social and Labour Convergence Project which was launched this week on Wednesday October 21, 2015. The project, facilitated by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) aims to build an industrywide, standardized methodology for social and labour performance assessment in apparel and footwear supply chains. In short, it aims to substantially reduce the number of social audits performed at manufacturers.
IAF represents the interests of national apparel and footwear industry associations, together representing mainly small and medium sized (SME) industry from over 60 countries. From member surveys IAF has found that both associations representing mainly brands and associations representing mainly manufacturers regard audit fatigue as a major flaw in the global supply chain. They have urged the international federation IAF to take action. On the other hand, IAF members also regard audit fatigue as a problem that the industry should be able to solve through collaboration, as already audits are greatly overlapping.
In this project, IAF’s role will be to focus on the interests of SMEs, both SME brands and SME manufacturers, helping to make sure that results of global harmonization work fully benefit smaller companies as well. Successful collaboration in the entire supply chain, including that of between all sizes of companies will be the cornerstone for success of the project. IAF firmly believes that reducing audit fatigue will not only reduce unnecessary costs, but also free energy and resources needed to take steps that really improve the industry, including schooling, training and capital investments.
Iafnet.eu
For 2015 the US cotton crop is projected at 18 per cent below the 2014 crop. During the previous two decades, the October estimate has been below final cotton production 11 times and above it 8 times.
Upland cotton production is forecast to decrease in each of the cotton belt regions this season. In the southwest, the upland crop is estimated at six million bales. Beneficial rainfall at planting time has reduced expected abandonment to only six per cent, the lowest in five seasons.
In the southeast, the 2015 cotton crop is forecast at 4.3 million bales, the lowest in six seasons as reduced area accounted for most of the decline. Past differences between the October estimate and final production indicate that chances are two out of three that the 2015 US upland cotton crop will range between 12.2 and 13.5 million bales.
US upland cotton crop is forecast at 12.9 million bales, below both last season and the five-year average. Total 2015 US cotton harvested area is estimated at nearly 8.2 million acres, compared with 9.3 million acres last season, and national yield is forecast at 784 pounds per harvested acre. In the Delta, the cotton crop is projected at 2.2 million bales, the lowest since 1983.
Eclat Textile, a major Taiwanese technology-based textile company, which is a fabric producer of professional functional and flexible knitwear and apparel manufacturer, is to enhance its production capacity in Vietnam, to gain benefits from Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.
The company, which has clients such Nike and Adidas is to invest $50.5 million to upgrade two factories. Of this, $40 million will go to a factory in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and $10.5 million to a plant in Dong Nai province and construction will begin early next year. The expanded capacity will top 5 million pieces of clothing per month.
To obtain maximum yield to satisfy customer demands, Eclat uses the most professional manpower, has the swiftest response and most competitive cost.
The first garment factory was opened by Eclat Textile Co., Ltd (Vietnam), in 2005 in Vietnam. The company has three garment factories in Ho Chi Minh City and the surrounding area and it opened its own fabric mill in Ho Chi Minh City in 2008.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which has been done by 11 countries and Vietnam, promises to eliminate all tariffs on Vietnamese seafood and apparel exports to large markets such as the US and Japan.
www.eclat.com.tw
Expotextil is on at Peru, October 22 to 25. Participants from over 20 countries will attend with the aim of offering their products and services such as equipment, textiles, supplies, tools, apparel, software and several accessories.
Exhibits include fiber preparation machines, knitting machines, spinning machines, testing equipment, weaving machines, non-woven and industrial machines, knitted and elastic textile fabrics, fancy yarn, wool, hemp and cotton yarn. garment yarn, decorative yarn, blended yarn, elastic yarn, special fiber yarn. The exhibition includes machinery and equipment for the clothing and textile industries, equipment for textile finishing, cutting and laser engraving, industrial sewing machines and more.
The fair will gather 220 exhibitors, who belong to companies from Peru, Germany, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain and the United States.
The fair brings together manufacturers and suppliers for the textile and apparel industry. The event is an opportunity to develop business relationships with companies, buyers, sales representatives and strategic partners, both domestic and international.
A total of 18 lectures will be given by national and international experts, who will put the latest textile industry developments on display. Visitors will be able to appreciate the newest garments produced by entrepreneurs and designers.
expotextilperu.com
Between 2009 and 2014 Sri Lanka’s clothing exports grew by over 51 per cent. And further growth is possible. The industry has built up a reputation for quality and delivery among buyers in the markets of developed countries.
Also, the industry has been a pioneer in adopting environmentally friendly manufacturing and waste management methods, something other countries in the region have yet to make progress on.
The country has created an environment conducive to business and provided tax incentives to encourage foreign direct investment. The clothing industry hopes to secure higher exports to the European Union through the restoration of GSP Plus concessions. Such restoration would provide exports from Sri Lanka with tariff-free access to EU markets and could lead to a sizeable increase in clothing shipments.
However there is a possibility Sri Lanka’s competitive position in the crucial US market will be threatened by the Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty, which is expected to favor Vietnam and Malaysia.
Also if GSP Plus status in the EU market is not restored, Sri Lanka’s clothing producers would remain at a long-term disadvantage in the face of competitors from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Cambodia who do benefit from duty-free access to the EU.
The PPP government in Sindh was slammed by the value-added textile manufacturers-cum-exporters recently, for letting industries suffer with decaying infrastructure, dwindling water and power supplies.
Abdul Rasheed, Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA), while speaking at a meeting with Sindh Industries Minister Muhammad Ali Malkani at PHMA House, said that Karachi was being ignored by the PPP government and not included in its development plans. This was despite the city providing more than 63 per cent revenue to the national economy.
Rasheed said that political governments are busy catering to their vote banks and meanwhile the industries were suffering from the broken infrastructure despite being vital to the national exchequer. He added that Karachi was treated as an orphan; however, the situation had improved quite a lot since the last few months.
Rasheed said that the provincial taxes needed a consolidation to help facilitate the industrial taxpayers and were uncounted. He also blamed the government for numerous taxes and stated that the manifold taxation system had been kept intact just to protect the bureaucracy. Besides, he mentioned that the social security audit was just harassment to the exporters by the government.
Javed Bilwani, Chief Coordinator, PHMA, feels that the government should allow 10 other power distributing companies in the city to end the K-Electric monopoly. He even urged the government to introduce an incentive package for the industrial growth and that it should build a circular railway network for people to end the transportation woes.
Moreover, Bilwani termed the federal government's imposition of 10 per cent, regularity duty on cotton yarn import and said that it was an illegal imposition in line with international laws.
www.phmaonline.com
Pakistan’s textile industry exports have dropped both in quantity and value terms in the month of September 2015.
One of the major reasons is the high cost of energy, both gas and electricity. This has hindered the industry’s capacity to produce an exportable surplus. Once uninterrupted energy is available the industry is confident it can make up for the shortfall by bringing its dormant and impaired capacities back on production track.
The fall in basic textile exports has been more steep than the fall in apparel exports in quantity terms. Yarn exports dropped by 14.5 per cent. Cloth exports fell by 22.43 per cent, yarn other than cotton yarn by 11.9 per cent, bed wear by nine per cent, tents and canvas by 79 per cent, and art, silk and synthetic textiles by 67 per cent in quantity terms. Apparel exports were down by 11.49 per cent in readymade garments and 4.3 per cent in knitwear in spite of the GSP Plus facility.
About 70 per cent of Pakistan’s textile industry is located in the province of Punjab. The industry has been facing an unprecedented declining trend in exports over the last one year. It wants measures to be implemented by the government that will help it become viable.
