Figure 3.19: Percentage of workers who received Covid-19 support from various sources

Access To Covid-19 Related Relief Efforts

Around 80% of garment workers reported that they were able to access some form of relief/ support during the Covid-19 crisis.

• Civil society organisations played an important role in supporting workers. 33% of the workers receiving food support from NGOs. 24% of the workers reported receiving similar support from suppliers, predominantly because they were migrants residing near factories in FTZs (Figure 3.19).

• 18% of the workers received monetary support of 5000 LKR (25 USD) from the government in the form of Covid-19 relief during the lockdown.

Figure 3.19: Percentage of workers who received Covid-19 support from various sources Figure 8.16 : Percentage of workers who received

Covid-19 support from various sources

35

rs rc entage of w or ke Pe 30

25

20

15

10

5

0 18%

11%

2% 2%

Monetary 33%

24%

10% 11% 15%

6% 7% 5%

Food Healthcare

Factory Government NGO/Charity Trade Union

Source: Primary data, n = 154 (workers who received Covid-19 relief)

A third wave of Covid-19 started in Sri Lanka in April 2021, soon after the traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations. Garment factories were exempt from lockdown restrictions as the apparel sector is economically important for Sri Lanka.13 Suppliers took advantage of these relaxations as they increased the pressure on workers, putting the lives and well-being of workers at risk. This is despite the fact that the second wave of Covid-19 in Sri Lanka in 2020 was due to a super-spreader event within the garment industry.

Workers and unions have been repeatedly raising complaints about the lack of implementation of health and safety protocols in the industry and the exclusion of manpower workers from relief programmes. Due to the absence of social security nets and high wage loss suffered by workers in 2020, garment workers are reluctant to stay home and they are eager to work as they are struggling to survive.14 Brands remain insensitive to the crisis faced by the workers as they continue to pressure suppliers to cut down prices and delay payments to them. The consequence of these practices again disproportionately fall on workers in the form of wage theft and unsafe working conditions.

1 GLJ-ILRF. (2021). IFC Investment in Brandix Lanka LTD. GLJ-ILJRF. Retrieved from https://globallaborjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/03.25.2021-Brief-re-BrandixIFC-complaint.pdf

2 Daniel, S. (2020, November 16). A Pillar Of Sri Lanka’s Economy, Garment Workers Ostracised After A Covid Outbreak At A Factory. Retrieved from Huff Post: https://www. huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/sri-lankas-garment-factory-workers-coronavirus-pandemic_ in_5fae6868c5b6b363336975a2

3 Srilanka Apparel. (2020, November). An Industry Misunderstood – Sri Lankan Apparel’s Tale Of Resilience & Global Leadership. Srilanka. Retrieved from https://www. srilankaapparel.com/an-industry-misunderstood-sri-lankan-apparels-tale-of-resilienceglobal-leadership/

4 Tilakaratne, W. M. (2006). Phasing out of MFA and the emerging trends in the readymade garment industry in Sri Lanka. Employment in Readymade Garment Industry in Post-MFA Era: The Case of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, China. Institute of Developing Economies. Retrieved from https://www.ide.go.jp/library/English/Publish/Download/Jrp/ pdf/140_2.pdf

5 Ruwanpura, K. N. (2015). Garments without guilt? Uneven labour geographies and ethical trading—Sri Lankan labour perspectives. Journal of Economic Geography, 16(2), 423-446. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/joeg/article/16/2/423/2412622

6 Hewamanne, S. (2021). Pandemic, Lockdown and Modern Slavery among Sri Lanka’s Global Assembly Line Workers. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 22(1), 54-69.

7 Cowgill, M., Luebkler, M., & Xia, C. (2015). Minimum wages in the global garment industry: Update for 2015. Bangkok: ILO.

8 Xinhua (2020). Sri Lanka’s apparel industry attracts over 500 million USD orders for PPE Retrieved from: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-05/22/c_139079934.htm

9 Dias, S. (2020). Apparel industry to lay off 30% workforce. Retrieved from Business Times: https://www.sundaytimes.lk/200405/business-times/apparel-industry-to-lay-off-30workforce-399059.html

10 Saini, M. (2021, February 24). Sri Lanka Plays to Strengths Amid Covid Downturn. Retrieved from Sourcing Journal: https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sourcing/sri-lankajoint-apparel-association-forum-sourcing-coronavirus-manufacturing-263546/

11 Hewage, K., & Anjana , P. (2021, March 22). Stitching Solutions: Protecting Sri Lanka’s Apparel Workers During COVID-19. Retrieved from Southern Voice: http://southernvoice.org/ stitching-solutions-protecting-sri-lankas-apparel-workers-during-covid-19/

12 Jang, B. (2020, October 27). Sri Lanka: vulnerable groups pay the price for militarization of COVID-19 response. Retrieved from International Commission of Jurists: https://www.icj.org/sri-lanka-vulnerable-groups-pay-the-price-for-militarization-of-covid19-response/

13 Kumarasinghe, K. (2021, May 18). Sri Lanka Teaches the World How Not to Respond to COVID-19. Retrieved from The Diplomat: https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/sri-lankateaches-the-world-how-not-to-respond-to-covid-19/

14 UCA News. (2021, May 17). Sri Lankan garment workers seek urgent government help. Retrieved from UCA News: https://www.ucanews.com/news/sri-lankan-garmentworkers-seek-urgent-government-help/92484#