Protecting workers, protecting businesses: Vaccination campaigns in the garment sector

by Better Work Bangladesh created 2021-08-10T17:06:01+07:00

Nationwide vaccination campaigns are at the forefront of COVID-19 mitigation efforts in several of the world’s major manufacturing countries. Garment workers— a category of people that has suffered since the pandemic took hold — are the focus of these vaccination campaigns.

COVID-19 has deeply affected the garment industry’s global supply chain, with disruptions at the local level of exporting manufacturing hubs. Lockdowns, cancellation of orders and suspension of factories affected the lives of employers, workers and their families. In some countries, a mix of public and private-sector vaccination schemes are set to help protect workers on the factory floor, eventually contributing to stabilizing the countries’ productivity.

Better Work is proud to share a sample of first-hand experiences of vaccination campaigns across some of our country programmes. We talked to workers, factory representatives, nurses, doctors and officials across Bangladesh, Cambodia, Jordan, Vietnam and Indonesia to offer an update on vaccination campaigns from the ground, highlighting the countries’ efforts in minimizing the pandemic, from their national campaigns to the factory floor.

Vaccination campaigns offer a piece of good news for local workers and businesses, as the sooner the countries’ workforce receives the vaccine, the speedier the economic recovery and return to a regular production process. Most importantly, however, is a return to “normal” life and access to a decent livelihood in safe conditions.

Learn more about vaccination campaigns in the garment sector