Two South Korean companies, which are reviewing closure of their businesses in the Kaesong industrial complex, would face ownership change, not a complete withdrawal from the joint factory park, despite their decision to close operations, Seoul's Unification Ministry said Wednesday. "To our knowledge, there are two companies planning to sell businesses and withdraw (from Kaesong). One firm stationed at the apartment-type factory is also reviewing its withdrawal," Unification Ministry spokesma

China on Tuesday pledged greater efforts to promote work safety following a three-month nationwide workplace safety campaign which ended recently. "Development at the expense of human life is a red line we should never cross," said State Councilor Wang Yong during an inspection tour from Sunday to Tuesday in Wuhan in China's central Hubei Province. "We shall develop a long-term work safety mechanism that is effective in preventing major accidents," he added. China launched a nationwide

A further reduction in gas supply to the Textile industry of Faisalabad in Pakistan during the next three months would lead to industrial stagnation, making it difficult for producers to honour their export commitment resulting into increased unemployment, said Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) President Engineer Suhail Bin Rashid at a media briefing. Presently the Faisalabad textile industry is receiving only 170 millions of cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas as against its r

The apparel exports from Turkey has increased by 8.5 percent year-on-year to US$ 12.95 billion in the first nine months of 2013, as per the data released by the Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters' Association (ITKIB). According to ITKIB data, Turkey exported garments worth US$ 12.95 billion in the period of January to September 2013, whereas garment exports touched US$ 11.95 billion during the same period last year. The highest exports were from the category of knitted apparel and clot

The newly-formed wage board for the garment workers has set Tk 5,300 as the minimum monthly wages. The minimum wage came at the ninth meeting of the wage board Monday afternoon. Apparel factory owners, however, rejected the minimum wage. A press briefing is underway at the board office, in the capital, regarding its announcement at around 4:00pm. Apparels workers have long been demonstrating, demanding Tk 8,000 as minimum wage for a labourer per month. Source: New Age BD.

Karl-Johan Persson talking to the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (c) 2013 H&M As a social responsible brand, H&M has been closely following the developments of the apparel industry in Cambodia. In mid-October 2013, H&M’s CEO Karl-Johan Persson met the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to particularly discuss the urgency of annual wages reviews and functioning industrial relations. During the visit he also met other stakeholders such as trade unions and UN body Better Factories

Workers at a Yangon garment factory have entered the second week of a strike called over the sacking of a colleague and the installation of CCTV cameras near a women’s toilet. The strike by about 200 workers at the ‘Handsome’ factory in Dagon Seikkan township began on October 26 after the sacking of their colleague,Sithu Min,who was reportedly accused by management of refusing to work overtime. Striking workers said he was sacked without sufficient reason and responded by sending a four-po

Cotton produce decreased in nine districts out of 21 cotton producing districts of the country, the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association said on Sunday. According to a PCGA press release, the decrease from 4.62 to 37.30 per cent was noticed by November 1. A major decrease in cotton production was observed in Kasur district. Increase in cotton production from 4.67 to 125.59 per cent was also recorded in 12 districts. District Sangharr of Sindh remained at top by producing 1,288,383 cotton bales

The HinduSouthern India Mills’ Association expects consumption by textile mills to exceed 300 lakh bales this year. File photo. Cotton production this year (October 2013-September 2014) is expected to be 375 lakh bales, 10 lakh bales more than last year. At its first meeting for the season in Mumbai on Friday, the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) estimated that heavy rains might have damaged nearly 10 lakh bales of cotton in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat this year.

Six workers of an illegal leather bag factory in central Delhi died and 12 were injured in a fire that broke out on Saturday evening. Four of the killed workers were women, of whom two were burnt beyond recognition. The other four were identified as Pooja, Rahul, Soni and Piyush. The incident was reported from the Shadipur Depot area around 5.45pm. Fire officials received a call from a person at the spot at 5.50pm, and sent seven fire tenders to the spot along with teams of firefighters. Witn