Garment industry workers struggle amid closures

No jobs, no income: Zarchi Liwn speaking to reporters in her hostel in an industrial zone on the outskirts of Yangon. — Reuters

Zarchi Lwin pawned her only two gold bangles for US$140 (RM610) when the owner of the factory where she sewed winter coats for British retailer Next Plc shut it down after orders dried up due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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.