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‘They wanted to get rid of the union for a long time – now they’re using Covid-19 as an excuse’
TONY BURKE of Unite reveals how coronavirus is being used to break unions in Asian garment industries – leaving workers high and dry

THE Covid-19 pandemic has seen orders worth billions of dollars cancelled across India, China, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar and garment workers say that the pandemic is being used to break union organising.

The pandemic has left hundreds of thousands of workers jobless in some of Asia’s poorest countries and employers are now targeting workers who have been fighting for higher pay and safe working conditions.

In southern India’s Karnataka state, where 20 per cent of India’s garment industry is based, one union leader called Padma has protested outside the Euro Clothing Company against its closure since June. 

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