Textile & Garment
The $2.4 trillion global garment and textile industry relies on more than 75 million workers — 85% of whom are women. It is not uncommon for workers to be employed without contracts or regular hours and not have access to social protection. Many garment workers, particularly in Asia, do not earn a living wage.
The Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, which killed over 1,132 workers, accelerated awareness of the true working conditions that many garment workers are exposed to. The tragedy advanced labor reforms in the industry and efforts to improve supply chain transparency and disclosure and empower worker voices.
Textile & Garment
The $2.4 trillion global garment and textile industry relies on more than 75 million workers — 85% of whom are women. It is not uncommon for workers to be employed without contracts or regular hours and not have access to social protection. Many garment workers, particularly in Asia, do not earn a living wage.
The Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, which killed over 1,132 workers, accelerated awareness of the true working conditions that many garment workers are exposed to. The tragedy advanced labor reforms in the industry and efforts to improve supply chain transparency and disclosure and empower worker voices.
How Ulula Supports Organizations in Textile and Garment
As brands, suppliers, and organizations strive to continue improving labor conditions, Ulula’s solution can strengthen audits through remote assessments and advance worker engagement through ongoing surveys, two-way dialogue, training and access to remediation and support.
The $2.4 trillion global garment and textile industry relies on more than 75 million workers — 85% of whom are women.
Improving Working Conditions
Supplier Codes of Conduct (CoC) require suppliers to ensure workers are treated fairly and free of harassment and that they receive a living wage and can submit concerns regarding their rights and working conditions. However, in practice, an organization may only provide an email address or an international phone number. Workers that are not proficient in English, do not have an email address or prefer to remain anonymous are unable to put complaints forward.
Ulula’s anonymous grievance channels allow workers to report labor and environmental abuses anonymously and in their own language directly from their mobile phone. No one is excluded and complaints also do not go unaddressed.
Brands can partner with local entities or train suppliers to address and resolve grievances using Ulula’s case management system.
Simplifying Compliance with Internal Labor Standards
As consumer pressure and international regulations such as the Modern Day Slavery Act and the French Corporate Duty of Vigilance Law increase, industry leaders are rethinking their business models and adopting internal guidelines to advance supply chain transparency and approach suppliers as long term strategic partners.
Ulula’s anonymous worker surveys enable brands and suppliers to report potential risks to compliance, providing insights that can inform the design of corrective action plans that improve working conditions.
Worker surveys can also uncover high priority risk areas where suppliers and brands can focus resources.
Simplifying Compliance with Internal Labor Standards
As consumer pressure and international regulations such as the Modern Day Slavery Act and the French Corporate Duty of Vigilance Law increase, industry leaders are rethinking their business models and adopting internal guidelines to advance supply chain transparency and approach suppliers as long term strategic partners.
Ulula’s anonymous worker surveys enable brands and suppliers to report potential risks to compliance, providing insights that can inform the design of corrective action plans that improve working conditions.
Worker surveys can also uncover high priority risk areas where suppliers and brands can focus resources.
High turnover and absenteeism can lead to increased accidents, decreased productivity and increased costs related to recruitment and onboarding.
Engaging Workers to Reduce Turnover and Absenteeism
High turnover and absenteeism can lead to increased accidents, decreased productivity and increased costs related to recruitment and onboarding. The root cause of absenteeism and turnover can be tied to low wages, limited skills training and opportunities for advancement, poor social dialogue, and inadequate working conditions.
Through Ulula’s surveys, suppliers and brands can continuously engage with workers to gain an intimate knowledge of working conditions and discover the sources of issues.
Key performance metrics on wellbeing, worker satisfaction, absenteeism and perceptions around health and safety can help suppliers better understand the needs of their workers.
Surveys reach workers, as well as community stakeholders, who can provide distinct perspectives on operations and practices.
Training Workers to Advance Their Rights
Workers may not always be aware of their rights and may not know how to seek guidance when their rights are infringed upon. Migrant workers in particular, who may not speak the local language, are often uninformed about local laws, making them more vulnerable to labor risks. Facility managers may also be unaware of labor rights and responsibilities, compounding the risk.
Ulula’s solution supports digital learning, training and distribution of resources in the language of the user so workers can understand their rights and communicate violations.
Comprehensive curriculum
Organizations can select training content from Ulula’s digital learning partners or upload their own materials. The solution can host numerous formats including text, image, audio, video and external weblinks.
Training support
Ulula’s surveys can support training by measuring worker and manager knowledge of labor rights after training is complete.
Track program improvement
Compare between baseline survey results from before training with survey results after training can inform program improvements to strengthen worker knowledge.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Stakeholders in the Textile and Garment Industry
The garment supply chain, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, was the hardest hit by the pandemic. Lockdown measures disrupted the garment trade — with a nearly 70% drop between some Asian countries and major buying nations. Thousands of factories closed, costing millions of jobs. The average worker lost two to four weeks of earnings. Only three out of five workers returned to work, usually at reduced pay. Additionally, new health and safety measures were put in place but were in some cases inconsistent, putting workers at risk of infection.
With Ulula, you can:
Improve work conditions through continuous worker assessments that monitor concerns such as fair remuneration, gender equality, proper adoption of health and safety practices, social dialogue and skills learning.
Digitally promote awareness campaigns around new best practices, which ensures that impacted workers and suppliers have access to critical information and resources for a safe and productive workplace.
Ulula Across Sectors
See how Ulula solutions address challenges across other sectors.
Strengthen audits and advance worker engagement
Get in touch to learn how Ulula solutions can support your organization’s stakeholder engagement goals in the textile and garment sector.