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Social reproduction and women's unpaid reproductive labour are integral both to capitalist production and class relations, and to international and national political economies. Based on an original theoretical framework that combines a Thompsonian historical materialist class approach, a Marxist-feminist social reproduction approach and a feminist political economy approach to the everyday, this article suggests that productive and reproductive work should be analysed as an integrated process and everyday experience of social life, and in relation to each other. This argument is then applied to the case of Turkey to indicate the interplays between the productive and reproductive realms at the national political economy level and the significant role of the state in shaping the reciprocal relationships of production and reproduction. Building on an ethnographic extended case study of women garment workers carried out over 14 months, it then analyses the interrelatedness of production and reproduction at the everyday level, within women's daily experiences and from their own perspectives. Overall, the article argues that the relations and socio-material conditions of production and reproduction are constitutive of each other at the macro and micro political-economic levels and should be analysed from a comprehensive, relational approach in their historical and geographical context and in dialogue with the everyday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protective clothing serves as a barrier against many hazards faced by workers in the industry. This study aimed to investigate the performance of locally manufactured clothing used by workers in the chemical industries in Pakistan. The construction parameters were determined using international test procedures for all samples. Then, these were assessed for their chemical resistance behavior after various laundering intervals, following the ISO 6530:2005 test method. After the investigation, it was observed that the collected samples failed to meet the minimum criteria for penetration and repellency through their structure. The samples were unable to repel a minimum of 95% liquid chemical and penetrated it more than 5%, even at zero wash. These conditions worsened with each washing interval. Clothing materials should always be checked for their performance before use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suffering is an experiential state that every person encounters at one time or another, yet little is known about suffering and its consequences for the health and well-being of nonclinical adult populations. In a pair of longitudinal studies, we used two waves of data from garment factory workers (Study 1 [T1: 2017, T2: 2019]: n = 344) and flight attendants (Study 2 [T1: 2017/2018, T2: 2020]: n = 1402) to examine the prospective associations of suffering with 16 outcomes across different domains of health and well-being: physical health, health behavior, mental health, psychological well-being, character strengths, and social well-being. The primary analysis involved a series of regression analyses in which each T2 outcome was regressed on overall suffering assessed at T1, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic characteristics and the baseline value (or close proxy) of the outcome assessed at T1. In Study 1, associations of overall suffering with worse subsequent health and well-being were limited to a single outcome on each of the domains of physical health and mental health. Overall suffering was more consistently related to worse subsequent health and well-being in Study 2, with associations emerging for all but two outcomes. The pattern of findings for each study was largely similar when aspects of suffering were modeled individually, although associations for some aspects of suffering differed from those that emerged for overall suffering. Our findings suggest that suffering may have important implications for the health and well-being of worker populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical model of natural convection in packages of materials with organized ventilated air gaps is presented. The results of thermal calculations of packages of materials with ventilated air gaps are considered on the example of clothing for greenhouse workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Stress has been a common phenomenon among the working professionals. The stress has been known to affect the job satisfaction level, health outcomes, affect burnout through the physiological, emotional, behavioral and cognitive processes resulting in to low performance. This study aims to identify the factors determining organizational stress among women workers in the garment industry in India and to develop and validate a contextual scale for organizational stress among women workers in the garment industry in India. Design/methodology/approach: This study consisted of women workers who were employed in garment manufacturing companies. The data has been collected through a structured questionnaire, which identifies the factors leading to stress. The respondents of the study included women workers employed in the garment manufacturing units in and around Bangalore. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted and the model fit was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Findings: The measurement scale for the organization stress of women workers in the garment industry was found to be highly reliable and valid for conducting the study in any Indian garment industry. The analysis identified the factors as follows: job-related factor, organization-related factor, social factor and personal factor. Research limitations/implications: Due to limited access to the population, which is the women workers, the authors have not been able to collect a large sample data. The sample size is the limitation of the study. Practical implications: Organizational stress have has been shown to have a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of employees. Organizations need to step up their effort to integrate emotional well-being, conducive work environment, workloads and job responsibilities, social connectedness and job satisfaction with their efforts to support the physical health and mental health of the workers. Originality/value: The study is one of its kind with a focus on women workers in the garment industry in India. The study highlights the factors that result in stress among women workers who have not been studied in past research studies. The strategies to cope with organizational stress in such a work requirement is different and very challenging, making it unique for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Worker welfare and modern slavery within the fashion industry remain a key supply chain challenge for many retailers, consumers, governments and advocacy groups. Yet, despite publicised worker-welfare violations, many fashion retailers continue to post record sales and profits, indicating that consumer concern does not always translate at the cash register. Research has shown that worker welfare is a less salient area of concern for fashion consumers, and the aim of this research is to investigate the reasons why this may be the case. Design/methodology/approach: Due to the exploratory nature of the research, a qualitative methodology was deemed the most appropriate. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with Australian fast-fashion consumers to investigate the underlying reasons worker-welfare violations are less likely to elicit pro-social consumer behavioural change and are a less salient area of concern. Findings: This study found that consumers perceive worker-welfare concerns at both a proximal and cultural distance to themselves, and therefore struggle to connect with the issues associated with modern slavery. Additionally, there was an underlying social consensus that exploitative practices are an accepted part of the fast-fashion supply chain to ensure the continuation of low-cost clothing. Despite an underlying awareness of exploitative practices and acknowledgement that modern slavery is ethically wrong, other consumer values often influenced purchase behaviour and the level of concern expressed towards garment workers. Originality/value: This is the first study to apply psychological distance in a fast-fashion context to better understand consumer perceptions towards modern slavery. Responding to calls for further research into ethical consumption of apparel, this study develops an in-depth understanding of the reasons why worker welfare is a less salient area of concern for fast-fashion consumers. Extending on current literature, this study qualitatively investigates consumer sentiment towards worker welfare, identifying the greatest barriers to consumers' levels of concern. In addition to a theoretical contribution to the fashion, ethics and business literature, this article provides key insight to guide practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bangladesh is one of the world's largest garment exporters. Physical working conditions of garment workers are precarious and known to largely affect their health. Research on garment workers' psychosocial working conditions, however, is scarce. We aimed to quantify psychosocial working conditions of garment workers and possible associations with workers' health.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1,118 ready-made garment (RMG) workers in labor colonies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in February 2021. Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize social stressors (e.g., being bullied at work, poor leadership) and social resources at work (e.g., receiving support at work, vertical trust between management and employees, beneficial leadership) and workers' health (self-reported overall health and 10 specific health complaints). To examine links of social stressors and social resources with self-reported health outcomes we ran multivariable Poisson regression models yielding prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results: We found low to moderate levels of workplace bullying and high levels of poor leadership (i.e., supervisors not caring about workers' problems). We also found high levels of social support, vertical trust and beneficial leadership (i.e., supervisors taking decisions free of bias). Garment workers frequently suffered from health complaints, first and foremost headache (68.3%), cold (55.3%), and back pain (50.7%). Health outcomes were poorer among workers who reported to be bullied at work versus not bullied (e.g., PR 1.55 [95% CI 1.32-1.92] for poor self-reported health when bullied by colleagues) and health was better among those reporting to feel supported versus unsupported (e.g., PR 0.61 [0.52-0.71] for poor self-reported health when supported by supervisor). Perceived vertical trust between workers and management was weakly associated with better health. Leadership behavior did not display a consistent pattern.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that working conditions of RMG workers are rather good (e.g., characterized by low levels of bullying and high levels of support, vertical trust and beneficial leadership). The majority of workers reported good or very good health, although health complaints were frequently mentioned, first and foremost headache, cold, and back pain. Associations between psychosocial working conditions and health indicate worse working conditions being associated with poorer health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, suspended and laid off garment workers struggled on severely reduced incomes to meet the cost of food for themselves and their families. It is in this context of 'double crisis' that our commentary focuses on the diminished eating and reduced bodily fates of garment workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We argue that thinking with Berlant encourages and supports scholars to contemplate and articulate how the 'production of value for others' can reduce the 'fates of the body' of those living and labouring at the sharp end of the capitalist system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of DYNA - Ingeniería e Industria is the property of Publicaciones Dyna SL and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study investigates low back pain (LBP) prevalence in the general working population in different demographic groups and explores the associations between low back pain, food intake, age and a set of emerging workplace psychosocial risk factors in different demographic groups in a selected garments factory in Bangladesh, which is the largest exporter of garments. A validated questionnaire with stratified sampling plan was used. Statistical analyses using Frequency Distribution and Chi-square test were conducted. Majority of the previous research papers used the data from developed countries. So this study would provide a reference for data pertaining to Bangladesh, a developing country, on low back pain In this study, impacts on workers personal factors (body mass index, physical exercise, and smoking habit) to low back pain, medical history of workers, and influence of food habits to low back pain have been taken into consideration which was highlighted in only few earlier papers. Among 151 subjects, 70.86% workers suffered from low back pain, 71.42% of interviewed workers having LBP are overweight, 78% of the interviewed smoking workers have LBP, and all the interviewed workers (151) used nonadjustable chair. The recommendation includes ensuring appropriate working postures and providing ergonomically designed chairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contemporary practice of 'craftivism'--which uses crafts such as knitting, sewing and embroidery to draw attention to 'issues of social, political and environmental justice' (Fitzpatrick 2018: 3)--has its origins in centuries of radical craft work where women and marginalised peoples, in particular, have employed crafts to protest, take a stand or comment on issues that concern them. Recently, craftivist actions have targeted the fashion and textile industry in an effort to highlight and address some of the social and environmental impacts of the global fashion industry, from the throwaway culture of fast fashion through to the unethical pay and working conditions of ready-made garment workers. Drawing on examples of both individual and collective forms of craftivism, this paper explores the ways that craftivism is being deployed not only as a means by which to mobilise the ethical use, consumption and production of fashion and textiles across the globe but also to hold the fashion industry to account against key concerns highlighted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In canvassing these examples, the paper considers the utility of craftivism as a model for challenging the fashion industry to effect change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the role of the Australian Modern Slavery Act 2018 as a reporting mechanism aimed at preventing the use of forced labour in global supply chains. In the fashion industry, modern slavery legislation pursues the ambitions of activist movements that have long campaigned for increased knowledge about supply chain practices to improve the labour conditions of garment workers, especially for those in the Global South. In recent years, such campaigns against the entrenched opacity of the global fashion system have given rise to a transparency industry built on practices of auditing and supply chain management, including in relation to modern slavery legislation. This article analyses 10 modern slavery statements submitted to the online Modern Slavery Register by fashion brands operating in Australia in the 2019-2020 reporting period to explore how the Modern Slavery Act 2018 participates in colonial relations of power. It focuses on three aspects of the statements: factory reporting and third-party auditing, corporate grievance mechanisms, and risks associated with COVID-19. Finally, the article argues that while improved transparency can generate positive outcomes for workers, the reporting required by modern slavery legislation is often more concerned with providing assurances about labour standards to consumers and stakeholders in the Global North than with the needs or experiences of workers in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the existence of multiple living wage initiatives and methodologies for calculating a living wage, there has been limited improvement in increasing garment workers' incomes. This paper applies Iris Marion Young's responsibility for structural injustice theory to connect apparel brands and retailers as the actors with power, privilege and capacity to enact change to improve poverty wages. This paper critically analyses two living wage methodologies and three living wage initiatives, drawing upon Young's theory to understand why progress on living wage has stagnated. The analysis also considers whether gender has been incorporated, finding that most methodologies and initiatives fail to adequately embed gendered considerations. Findings reveal that the most powerful actors in apparel global values chains (brands and retailers) evade responsibility through performative membership with initiatives that prioritise profit, ignore gendered considerations and require minimum changes from businesses as usual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karim addresses the role of the capitalist system and politics in shaping Bangladesh's garment industry. Karim clearly explains the broader context of quality of life and the micro-level implications of the garment industry, which are rarely studied by scholars and arguably are overshadowed by economic gains and some macro-level social gains. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: The HPV-Automated Visual Evaluation (PAVE) Study is an international, multi-centric study designed to evaluate a novel cervical screen-triage-treat strategy for resource-limited settings as part of a global strategy to reduce cervical cancer burden as part of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Cures Moonshot Initiative. The PAVE strategy involves: 1) screening with self-sampled HPV testing; 2) triage of HPV-positive participants with a combination of extended genotyping and visual evaluation of the cervix assisted by deep-learning-based automated visual evaluation (AVE); and 3) treatment with thermal ablation or excision (LLETZ). The PAVE study has two phases: efficacy (2023-2024) and effectiveness (planned to begin in 2024-2025). The efficacy phase aims to refine and validate the screen-triage portion of the protocol. The effectiveness phase will examine implementation of the PAVE strategy into clinical practice, cost-effectiveness, and health communication. The study will enroll a total 100,000 women in 9 different countries. Objective: The Cambodia section of the study will enroll a total of 10,000 women 25 to 49 years of age. Two different cohorts are being studied: lower-risk women who are employed (and screened) at garment factories, and higher-risk women living with HIV (WLWH) who are enrolled in the Cambodian National Centre for HIV/AIDS Dermatology and STDS (NCHADS) clinics. Very few women in either cohort have ever been screened for cervical cancer. Methods: After an initial educational campaign including videos and written literature, eligible women were consented and performed HPV self-sampling. HPV testing was performed with the modified AmpFire HPV isothermal testing system (Atila Biosystems, California) which provides genotyping information in following groups: 16, 18/45, 31/33/35/52/58, 39/59/68/51/56/59. All women were informed of the HPV status via SMS. All HPV positive women had digital colposcopy with 5% acetic acid using an IRIS digital colposcope (Liger, Utah) and digital images were obtained. All women hrHPV+ had ectocervical and/or endocervical biopsies with SoftBiopsy or SoftECC brush (Histologics, California). Women with CIN2+ lesions then had LEEP. Results: As of October 31st, 2023, 2097 Garment workers and 530 WLWH have been enrolled. From 259 of 2097 garment workers were hrHPV+ (12.4%). 10 of the 259 (3.9%) had biopsy confirmed CIN2+ lesions. Only 9 (3.4%) of the garment workers were lost to follow up after testing positive for hrHPV. 128 of 530 WLWH were hrHPV+ (24.15%), 101 of these 128 women presented for visual evaluation of their Cervices and 21 had a CIN2+ lesions and 11 had invasive cancer. Currently, 27 of the hrHPV+ WLWH have been lost-to-follow-up, though efforts continue to reach these women. Conclusions: Women in low resource settings often have great socioeconomic barriers to cervical cancer screening. Screening and treating in garment factories appears to be a very successful strategy as high numbers of women can be screened in a short period of time. Additionally, there has been very minimal loss-to-follow-up even though HPV testing was performed up to one month prior to the visual inspection of hrHPV+ women. Screening WLWH, however, is a greater challenge as they often have to travel greater distances to get screened and frequently face greater economic burdens. Strategies such as arranging and paying for all transportation and compensation for lost wages will be used in the future to limit loss-to-follow-up. Disclosure: Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Dare Bioscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the geography of metropolitan opportunities has focused on a set of opportunities in different urban areas over time to justify policy interventions. The Beijing government implemented large-scale policy interventions to achieve structural industrial changes in order to stop the downward spiral of poverty and segregation in "urban villages." Beijing has accelerated the redevelopment of urban villages and helped tens of thousands of low-wage migrant workers in garment villages move to surrounding secondary cities or small towns in Hebei Province with better opportunities. However, low-wage migrant workers did not respond linearly to the intervention. This study analyzes the reasons underlying the response of low-wage migrant workers to these policy interventions. First, the antipoverty policy is a geographic exercise, moving low-end industries from a global center to peripheral locations. This study considers why this mobility strategy for improving opportunity has become the arena for opportunistic behavior and conceptualizes the logic of opportunism and the self-worth of low-wage migrant workers in a metropolitan area. Second, the Beijing government is attempting to disperse the low-end informal industries into formal industrial bases in Hebei. Dispersal campaigns inevitably involve circuitous mobility and the outcome of dispersal is inherently unstable. One of the crucial questions in dispersal strategies is scale. Would an upscaled Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) City Region or a downscaled "neighborhood effect" better implement the antipoverty strategy? This dispersal strategy can break up the concentration of migrants, but their perceived opportunities remain in Beijing. One of the obstacles to the full implementation of the dispersal strategy is grassroots opposition. This study uses a three-year survey conducted prior to the COVID−19 lockdown to analyze how displaced migrant workers perceive these opportunities in their processual and networked decision-making. Garment villages are important "anchor places" where migrants can mobilize their social capital and facilitate upward mobility outside a dominant institution in Beijing. This study reveals how garment workers replicated informal habitats in more remote locations in Beijing as the old habitats disappeared. • Urban villages provide a critical "anchor" for the social reproduction of migrants. • Migrants often replicate the urban village in more remote locations when the old one disappears. • Suzhi discourse is an intangible factor in labor mobility. • Migrants' networks may be diluted in the upscaled Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regionalism. • We need more inclusive policies to settle the displaced workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to describe the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers' rights in the global garment industry and to present possible recommendations for clothing companies and the countries where these companies have their seat that could mitigate the adverse impacts on workers' rights in the future. In response to WHO's declaration of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a sharp reduction in industrial production and closures of retail to limit the spread of the disease. This article deals with the garment industry's initial response to financial loss constraints and their actions in their supply chains. Special attention is paid to an analysis of the violations of specific rights of garment workers. The article draws on information from surveys and reports conducted during 2020 in individual clothing factories in the region. In its last part, it offers recommendations for the states where the clothing companies have their seat to take legislative and political actions to promote the respect for workers' rights extraterritorially. It also provides recommendations to clothing companies, which call for the introduction of voluntary measures to ensure respect for workers' human rights and labour rights and to contribute to sustainability in supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adab Al-Kufa is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The garment industry, which is traditionally labour-intensive, is facing significant challenges to reduce production costs in the face of material, labour, and infrastructure maintenance cost increases. To address this challenge, various aspects of smart factory-related technologies are being adopted by the garment industry. In this study, we introduce a production line simulation approach based on real-time power monitoring data in the form of garment production workers' individual task times. Power consumption data for workers' sewing machines are collected using ICT-based power monitoring devices, and the data are transmitted to a cloud server through a wireless network and processed by an approximation algorithm to extract accurate task time. Power monitoring data are then used as inputs to a discrete-event simulation model to measure the overall productivity, individual productivity, and other key performance indices critical to the garment production line. The simulation results were 18.8% more accurate than the results obtained by the garment production line using a conventional approach. This study demonstrates the potential of smart factory-related technologies and how they can be implemented in different types of industries, such as the garment production industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and prevention practices (KAP) among the garment factory worker population in Bangladesh regarding a historical dengue outbreak in 2019. A total of 400 participants were selected by simple random sampling, and questionnaire‐based interviews were conducted. The average score of knowledge, attitude and prevention practice was 8.33 ± 2.35, 6.32 ± 1.20 and 6.31 ± 1.50, respectively. Only 76 out of 400 participants (19%) scored above 10 (all university‐educated). Participant workers reported both negative and positive attitudes regarding dengue fever (DF). Negative attitudes included an expectation of increased mortality and strained family finances from DF attacks. A significantly high number of participants (92%) believed that death from DF was inevitable. Positive attitudes included optimism about DF eradication potentials and eagerness to help and donate blood to sick relatives. Participants primarily learned about the DF prevention from mass media (244/400; 61.0%) and social media (97/400; 24.25%). The most popular prevention measures adopted were mosquito repellent incense (344/400; 86.0%) and mosquito nets (389/400; 97.25%). While most participants (358/400; 89.5%) cleaned areas where mosquitos lay eggs, only 169 out of 400 (42.25%) regularly treated with chemical sprays. Only 182 out of 400 (45.5%) reported receiving DF prevention training in the factory. Correlation between DF knowledge and education was statistically significant (r =.38, p <.01, n = 398). Correlation between DF knowledge and work experience was insignificant (r =.01, p >.01, n = 398). Age and DF knowledge were not correlated (r = 0.07, p >.01, n = 398). In conclusion, gaps in KAP for dengue could be addressed by government‐sponsored educational programmes that utilize the power of mass/social media for dengue prevention and control. More KAP surveillance studies are needed for other sectors of the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: A principios de 2020, marcas de ropa y minoristas cancelaron pedidos por valor de 40 000 millones de dólares de los Estados Unidos, con consecuencias drásticas para proveedores y trabajadores. Con datos de encuestas originales, cuestionarios a proveedores, entrevistas y análisis cronológico y de datos comerciales se exploran las asimetrías de poder y la distribución de los costes de las crisis en las cadenas mundiales de suministro. Se observa un menor poder de los compradores, en parte por campañas de colaboración entre proveedores y trabajadores como #PayUp, pero los compradores siguen presionando a los proveedores, en detrimento de los trabajadores. Se recomiendan acuerdos vinculantes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early 2020, apparel brands and retailers cancelled US$40 billion worth of orders, with critical consequences for suppliers and workers. Their actions illustrate the power asymmetries in global supply chains and the unequal distribution of costs during crises. This article explores these dynamics through original survey data, supplier questionnaires, stakeholder interviews, a time‐line analysis and trade data analysis. Findings point to certain limits of buyer power, reflected in the effective collaboration between suppliers and worker rights advocates in the "#PayUp" campaign. Yet buyers retain the power to squeeze suppliers with adverse impacts on workers, thus leading to calls for binding agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of technological innovations is essential for accident mitigation in work environments. In a human-robot collaboration scenario, the current number of accidents raises a safety problem that must be dealt. This work proposes an intelligent system that aims to address such problems using deep and machine learning techniques. More specifically, this solution is divided into two modules: (i) collision detection between humans and robots and (ii) worker's clothing detection. We evaluated these modules separately and concluded that the proposed intelligent system is efficient in supporting safe human-robot collaboration. The results achieved a sensitivity level greater than 90% in identifying collisions and an accuracy above 94% in identifying the worker's clothing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article aims to examine how non-governmental organisations (NGOs)' narratives portray the vulnerability of workers in global clothing supply chains during the COVID-19 crisis. Design/methodology/approach: The research analyses the rhetoric in global clothing retailers' and NGOs' counter-rhetoric during the first seven months of 2020. Findings: During this period, retailers employed rhetorical strategies to legitimise irresponsible actions (corporate hegemony prevailed), while NGOs embraced forms of counter-rhetoric trying to delegitimise the retailers' logic, stressing the role of neoliberalism in worsening the situation. Originality/value: The authors contribute to the literature by providing new insight into the consequences of COVID-19 for retailers' neoliberal practices and the livelihood of workers in global supply chains. Findings of this study extend authors' knowledge about retailers' COVID-19 measures: These have contributed to the plights of workers working for their supply factories in the global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Descriptive design cross-sectional study was conducted in assess the occupational health hazards among workers in Al-Najaf in garment factory and its association with socio-demographic characteristics of workers in the province of Najaf during period from December 23th 2020 to February 9 the 2021. 180 male and female workers were selected through non-probability sampling (purposive sampling) and the data collected using the questionnaire that was designed earlier from three main parts, first part included socio-demographic data characteristic and the second part was included health care facilities that include health services to workers and the three part (health hazards) and that consist of (physical hazards, chemical hazards, biological hazards, psychological hazards The study found that the overall risk score was moderate, the higher risk was for psychological risks, and the lowest risk was for safety measures and protective equipment, The overall hazard score was found to have a statistically significant relationship with each job title and work location (P 0.05). Further research, as well as an education program and regulations for the use of safety measures, were strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I examine the Garment Workers' Union's theatre as a manifestation of transnational working-class culture in the 1940s. Analysing Pageant of Unity (1940), a play in which Afrikaans and English alternate to express the equality of Afrikaans- and English-speaking workers in the face of exploitation, I offer an attempt to escape the confines of a national literature as linked to a single language. I demonstrate how the political pageant--a genre typical of socialist propaganda and international trade unionism--was adapted to a South African context. This drama is, therefore, viewed as a product of cultural mobility between Europe, the United States, and South Africa. Assuming the 'follow the actor' approach of Bruno Latour's Actor-Network Theory, I identify a network of interconnections between the nodes formed by human (drama practitioners and theoreticians, socialist organisers) and nonhuman actors (texts representing socialist drama conventions, in particular agitprop techniques). Tracing the inspirations and adaptations of conventions, I argue that Pageant of Unity most evidently realises the prescriptions outlined by the Russian drama theoretician Vsevolod Meyerhold whose approach influenced Guy Routh, one of the pageant's creators. Thus, I focus on how this propaganda production utilises certain features of the Soviet avant-garde theatre, which testifies to the transnational character of South African working-class culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the way of competition has changed in terms of garment manufacturing. Quality and scale competition gradually turn into speed competition. Garment manufacturers need to shorten the production cycle to win development opportunities. This paper takes a garment manufacturing factory as the research object, and innovatively uses the MOST method and Em-Plant simulation to improve the efficiency of its production line. According to each activity, operation time and worker assignment of the garment manufacturing process, the corresponding simulation model based on Em-Plant software is created to reveal the current problems existing in the manufacturing process. By analyzing these results, the bottlenecks in the process are found out. Applying theoretical knowledge such as production line balancing, lean production, motion study and time analysis, the improvement two plans are put forward, and the corresponding simulation results are given subsequently. Finally, a relatively better improvement plan is determined, which can better achieve the goal of balancing production line, improving efficiency, and reducing cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]