Coronavirus crushes Asia’s garment industry

Mg More, president of the Myan Mode garment factory union, looks at a contract in front of his hostel in an industrial zone on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar April 24, 2020. Picture taken April 24, 2020. - Reuters

YANGON/DHAKA/BANGKOK: Zarchi Lwin pawned her only two gold bangles for US$140 when the owner of the Myanmar factory where she sewed winter coats for British retailer Next Plc shut it down after orders dried up due to the coronavirus.

She is one of hundreds of thousands of garment workers across Asia who have been laid off, according to the Workers Rights Consortium, a labour rights campaign group, and are now struggling to survive with little welfare support, mired in debt and in many cases reliant on food handouts.