Garment workers losing up to US$5.8bil in wages

Poverty pay: A file picture showing garment factory workers in a truck, which they use to commute to and from work, in Cambodia. With store closures and falling sales, many retailers cancelled orders or demanded discounts from suppliers. — AFP

LAHORE: Garment workers supplying global fashion brands have been underpaid or not paid at all during the coronavirus crisis, with lost wages potentially amounting to nearly US$6bil, according to researchers.

With the pandemic leading to store closures and falling sales, many retailers cancelled orders or demanded discounts from suppliers, jeopardising the livelihoods of tens of millions of workers in the sector.