FW
In a country where outsourced workers represent 27 per cent (around 13 million) of the workforce in the formal sector, an IndustriALL Global Union Study of precarious workers in Brazil has highlighted the financial, psychological and physical costs of outsourcing on workers’ lives and families.
In-depth interviews were carried out with union leaders and 22 subcontracted workers in the states of Sao Paulo and Bahia. Six of the workers were women and three were migrant workers from Haiti and Bolivia. All the workers are employed by numerous subcontractor companies supplying services to seven different multinational or national companies in the chemical (plastic, cosmetic, personal care, pharmaceutical, ink), garment, and pulp and paper sectors.
The study describes the 22 subcontracted workers reported poorer working conditions and lower salaries than direct employees at their worksite. In one chemical company, they earn half the salaries of direct employees. They get also lower benefits, if they get them at all, notably lower social protection.
Many work longer hours than direct employees. In one case, subcontracted workers work 44 hours a week, compared to 39 hours by direct employees. Several have very irregular working hours, while direct employees benefit from fixed hours. Some work on Saturdays unlike their colleagues.
The study reveals that some workers said they have no access to the work canteen, and when they have; their meal voucher has a lower value than those of direct employees. They have no access to company transport services nor direct employees’ sport and leisure rooms.
The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) has urged the government not to raise gas prices again, saying that the proposed hike will negatively affect the country's textile and garment industry. BTMA leaders led by its vice president Fazlul Hoque met state minister for jute and textile Mirza Azam made this appeal. The delegation informed the minister that many mills will shut down if the proposed hike is implemented.
The sector will face further challenges due to recent global cotton price hike, the stimulus textile package worth rupee 60 billion by India, they expressed fear. Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd recently sent a proposal to Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission recommending 130 per cent and 62 per cent gas price hike in captive power producers and the industrial sector.
The textile sector has been passing through a hard time since the 100 per cent price hike in September last and is now facing tough competition with competitor countries, the statement added.
With around nine months still to go before the doors open, Texprocess, the leading international trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials, already boast of an outstanding number of registrations with almost 100 per cent exhibition space occupied by the fair in 2015 having been booked. Companies from 14 different countries that have already registered include many new exhibitors such as Mitsubishi Electric Europe, Inventech Europe, Gemini CAD Systems and Hatapress & Garments. In addition to national pavilions from China and Taiwan, Japan will also supplement its individual exhibitors with a joint stand for the first time. A USA presentation is also in planning.
Texprocess will present finishing technologies, with the ‘Textile Effects Lab’ special area. The World Textile Information Network (WTiN) will hold its European Printing Conference for the first time at Texprocess. Following the success of the première in 2015, the Innovative Apparel Show will be held again with one German and three European universities presenting fashion designs made of functional textiles and the associated production and processing stages. The show links Texprocess with Techtextil. Again, the IT@Texprocess area will present IT solutions for the production, logistics and distribution of textiles.
A host of new brands have signed up for Moda’s Boutique ahead of the August show that is set to open on 7th at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Moda, the meeting place of the fashion industry, has cemented its position as the UK's largest fashion trade event. The event, from August 7- 9, will also welcome women’s wear, accessories, and menswear and footwear brands.
The Boutique area within the Lingerie & Swimwear hall will feature new brands like: Balearic Beach, Wild Geese, Little White Lies Swim, Rebeliss and Splash by Della Roz while returning brands Bluebella and Kiku Design complete the lineup.
According to event director Penny Robinson, the Boutique concept has evolved over the last year and is now firmly established within the wider lingerie and swimwear exhibition. Visitors enjoy the opportunity to discover inspiring new design alongside their core brands while the brands themselves can take advantage of a unique opportunity to launch their collections to the trade on an accessible platform within the setting of the industry’s biggest trade exhibition.
This season Moda will launch a new, dedicated hall for lingerie & swimwear brands, delivering a more intimate and focused setting with over 200 new and emerging brands.
South Korea’s original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs) who supply products to top global clothing labels have started nurturing their own brands. These include well-known OEM and ODM companies include Hansae, Sae-A Trading, Youngone Corporation and Simone.
OEM and ODM companies often face growth limitations as they are in an environment where they need to offer end-products at cheaper prices than actual labels would receive. They are also under the burden of having had to constantly shift their production bases - for example from China to Southeast Asia where labour cost is cheaper.
Hansae for example has been expanding based on its own brands by promoting aggressive merger and acquisitions. Last month, the company made news when it acquired MK Trend, a local apparel maker with $253 million worth of annual sales. MK Trend has fared well despite a slump in business. Brands include casual-wear TBJ, Andew, Buckaroo and NBA. The company also recently launched golf-wear brand, LPGA.
Industry observers note that Hansae decided to acquire MK Trend as it judged that growth would be limited by producing goods on a consignment basis for American fashion brands including Gap, Nike, American eagle and Kohl’s.
Pakistan’s ministry of textile industry has expressed concern over the 28 per cent drop in cotton production during 2015-16 caused by climate change-induced phenomena like heavy rainfall, high temperatures and major pest outbreaks. Theses have taken a heavy toll on Pakistan’s cotton growing districts of Punjab and Sindh province this year. Khalid Abdullah, the country’s cotton commissioner said erratic weather has proved lethal for the production of cotton one of the country’s key cash crops.
Last year was the hottest season in the cotton growing regions over the past decade and with similar weather conditions predicted for next year, cotton production may continue to slide. However, government incentives, such as lower costs for fertiliser and pesticide will help farmers compensate their losses, he hoped.
According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2015-16, cotton contributes to 1 per cent of Pakistan’s GDP and 5 per cent of the country’s agriculture value-added. The survey shows cotton production has dropped dramatically with the industry missing its 5.5 per cent growth target. To maintain supply of cotton to the textile industry, imports of raw cotton increased to 345,000 tons, a growth of over 250 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Karl Mayer, the market leader and driving force in textile machinery, will make a double presence at ITMA ASIA + CITME at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai from October 21 to 25 and simultaneously at an in-house exhibition at Karl Mayer (China) in Wujin.
ITMA ASIA + CITME 2016 is the most important trade fair for the Asia’s textile industry. With intervals between the events, this leading trade fair determines the innovation cycles within the sector. The technology and market leader offers perfect solutions for warp knitting, technical textiles and warp preparation for weaving and will be one of the top addresses for visitors of the fair.
Visitors can look forward to viewing a wide range of exhibits. In the lace sector, a fundamental new development in the multibar jacquard machine sector will set the standard in terms of the cost: benefit ratio and will be demonstrating the potential for producing a wide range of new and different product designs.
In the tricot sector, textile machine manufacturer continues the generation change that has been initiated at ITMA 2015 in Milan. There is high demand for the first model to feature the upgrade, the HKS 2-SE, with a modern machine design, KARL MAYER’s new KAMCOS® 2 platform with additional App functions, camera monitoring system and the LEO® Low Energy Option for up to 10 % less energy consumption, reducing costs and environmental loads. HKS machines with EL provide simple and rapid pattern change for producing short runs and development of new products. An almost limitless range of long pattern repeats, and consequently pattern designs, can be produced.
Last but not the least, the warping machine that can be used for conventional direct warping as well as sectional warping will be shown. The warp-for-warp technique requires only a few packages. Karl Mayer’ Warp Preparation Business Unit will be showcasing an innovative sectional warping machine for processing shirtings and cloths. This machine operates at an impressive level of productivity. It improves efficiency in weaving preparation by up to 30 per cent and by up to 3 per cent in weaving compared to other models on the market. The company will also be showing the innovation Size Box HSB with pre-wetting and the technical textiles business unit will focus on lightweight construction and geo textiles.
Claudia Vicary is the new graduate policy officer for Cotton Australia. She will contribute to the development of the organisation’s policy positions that protect and advance the interests of cotton growers. She has extensive professional and personal experience in agriculture. She has skills in cotton and horticultural integrated pest management, field research and international agricultural development.
Claudia Vicary will work closely with Cotton Australia’s team of policy and advocacy staff and the broader team to advance issues important to cotton growers. Cotton Australia is the peak body for Australia's cotton growing industry and aims to foster a sustainable Australian cotton industry. There are more than 1,200 cotton farms in Australia. In an average year, Australia’s cotton growers produce enough cotton to clothe 500 million people. The major buyers of Australian cotton are China, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Bangladesh and Japan.
Cotton is one of Australia’s largest rural export earners and helps underpin the viability of more than 152 rural communities. Cotton makes up 30 to 60 per cent of the gross value of the total agricultural production in Australian regions where it is grown. The cotton industry in Australia employs 15 times as many people as grazing does. Australian irrigated lint yields are now the highest of any major cotton producing country in the world.
"The Indian textile and apparels industry employs 105 million people directly and indirectly and has a potential to create 50 million more jobs by 2025, holding the key to growing unrest over India's inability to create the millions of jobs it needs every month. However, due to rising skills gap, falling exports, low productivity, ever increasing debt and low foreign investment the targets set by the textile sector of additional $30 billion in exports and 10 million additional jobs over the next three years is being jeopardised."
The Indian textile and apparels industry employs 105 million people directly and indirectly and has a potential to create 50 million more jobs by 2025, holding the key to growing unrest over India's inability to create the millions of jobs it needs every month. However, due to rising skills gap, falling exports, low productivity, ever increasing debt and low foreign investment the targets set by the textile sector of additional $30 billion in exports and 10 million additional jobs over the next three years is being jeopardised.
In fact, as per Labour Bureau estimates, textiles and apparels employment fell 0.11 per cent in April-June 2015, rose 0.18 per cent in July-September 2015 and 0.23 per cent in October-December 2015; and exports of cotton commodities, which account for 24 per cent of textile and apparel exports, declined 34 per cent in the last three years. As per United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database exports of some commodities, such as knitted /crocheted and non-knitted/crocheted apparel and clothing, grew 12 per cent and seven per cent, textile & apparel exports from India declined more than seven per cent between 2013-14 and 2015-16.
Key to India's job aspirations
The textiles sector has been instrumental in creating mass employment, particularly for women, and has lifted millions out of poverty as they moved out of farm jobs in countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mauritius, Cambodia and Pakistan. Textiles were the largest creator of Indian formal sector jobs, with 499,000 added over the last three years. There is strong international evidence that exports help create additional jobs and push up wage and income growth.
According to a United Nations Development Program report, over 22 years of unprecedented economic growth (1991 to 2013), less than half the Indians who sought jobs, 140 million of 300 million, got them. India will need to generate 280 million jobs between now and 2050, the year when the working-age population (15 to 64) will peak, the report said. However, the rate of employment in the textiles sector is moving south. One main reason is cotton, which commands the highest share (24 per cent) of textiles and apparels exports, witnessed 11 per cent decline in production over the last two financial years.
Experts cite crop damages in Punjab and Haryana and low rainfall in Gujarat and Maharashtra as the reason for the low annual cotton output in five years. This will potentially increase prices, making Indian textile products uncompetitive, at a time when India's exports are facing competition from Bangladesh, Vietnam and China. From a 43 per cent and 87 per cent lead over Bangladesh and Vietnam in textile and apparel exports in 2013-14, India's lead has now declined to 16 per cent and 28 per cent in 2015-16. Meanwhile Vietnam is now part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade block and so enjoys preferential trade access to the US, the world's largest importing country with 19 per cent share of global textile and clothing imports.
Urgent steps needed
As Smriti Irani at the helm she has her hands full as there is much for the textile ministry to do. Among them are: evaluate, bolster or scrap multiple government schemes that do not appear to have boosted productivity and skills in the industry. Some of these programs include the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme and Integrated Skill Development Scheme. According to a National Skill Development Corporation report, lack of skills in the textiles sector pervades levels like workers (operators, weavers, tailors et al), supervisors, managers, quality control representatives, merchandisers and designers/developers.
FDI, a driver of productivity, modernisation and skill development, in textiles more than doubled in 2013-14 over the preceding year, but investment growth stagnated in 2014-15 as, no more than 0.64 per cent of FDI into India went to textiles.
Africa’s biggest cotton producer Burkina Faso has asked Bayer Crop Science to help produce genetically modified cotton even as the government decided to stop planting a variety introduced by Monsanto Co., the world’s largest seed company. Burkina Faso will only grow conventional cotton this season but doesn’t rule out a return to genetically modified cotton, according to Wilfried Yameogo, managing director of state-controlled Sofitex, the largest buyer in the West African nation.
In April, Burkina Faso said it was completely phasing out Monsanto’s cotton because the length of the fiber degraded, which hurt revenue for three consecutive seasons. But if Monsanto can restore the quality of the crop, the government will tell farmers to resume planting genetically modified cotton, said Yameogo, who was appointed the same month.
Burkina Faso’s request to Bayer CropScience, the agricultural unit of German chemicals company Bayer AG, is ‘under consideration,’ company spokesman Richard Breum said. Meanwhile, the cotton industry continues to negotiate for compensation it seeks from Monsanto, as buyers and producers estimate they’ve lost $82 million during the past three seasons.
