The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) has welcomed the call to action by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) to support the Sri Lankan apparel sector’s efforts towards ensuring worker welfare.
The move has come amidst Sri Lanka’s struggles due to the ongoing economic crisis with power outages, shortages and price increases of essentials.
ETI has commenced a collective response by engaging with economists, industry associations, worker representatives and member companies operating in Sri Lanka to better understand the implications of the ongoing crisis on workers, suppliers and the industry at large.
Distribution of dry rations, medicines, groceries and cooked food has been taken as an initial step in support. Additionally, AAFA has pledged a commitment to work with suppliers ensuring timely payments and adherence to the law.
JAAF has appreciated this collective support as it is said to enhance and compliment worker welfare measures already taken by the industry during these unprecedented times.
Welfare schemes by some factories have been in operation for the distribution of dry rations, with certain factories providing additional meals to employees to take home to feed their families.
Provision of schoolbooks for children, free medical facilities and special food packages for pregnant women have also been made available for employees in the SME sector.
Yohan Lawrence, the Secretary General of JAAF, mentioned, “Factories are encouraged to implement welfare measures to best suit the requirements of their workers. As of June 2022, around 80 per cent of apparel manufacturers have made cost of living adjustments to salaries over and above the annual increments. In some instances, these represent increases of 25 per cent from 2021.”
JAAF further commended the resilience of companies to continue operations and production under such challenging times, while ensuring the welfare of workers.
