Publications
Heat Stress in the Cambodian Workplace
In Cambodia, workers health and safety and climate change are linked. This report details the results of surveys, interviews, and thermal monitoring conducted in the garment, delivery, and informal food sector that display the negative effect that heat has on workers, and give insight on how unions are an effective solution for positive change. “Workers whose union negotiates with their employers over heat mitigation experienced 75% less working time under stress.”
Read the full report here.
2023 Annual Report
In 2023, the Solidarity Center supported workers as they took on exploitative multinational companies and robot algorithms, demanded their governments tackle social ills and deliver on promises, and fought for justice in environments increasingly dangerous to those who defend democracy and work to thwart disenfranchisement and inequality. In our annual report, learn about how the Solidarity Center is standing with workers, trade unions and their movements in 66 countries around the world as they organize and mobilize to create change.
In Their Own Words: Workers Address Gender-Based Violence & Harassment in South Africa’s Garment Factories and Clothing Retail Stores
In South Africa, 98 percent of women garment and retail workers surveyed in 2022 said they had experienced one or more forms of gender-based violence or harassment, including physical abuse, unwanted sexual advances, psychological abuse, bullying and rape. To better understand the experiences of women and other marginalized workers in garment and retail industries with GBVH, and elevate their voices in advocacy campaigns, the Solidarity Center partnered with three trade unions and two civil society organizations to conduct participatory action research.
Download the summary publication here. (Full report coming soon!)
In Our Own Words: Workers Address Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in Garment Factories in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, 80 percent of women garment workers surveyed in 2019 reported they had experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, molestation or assault, endured extreme verbal abuse or witnessed a factory manager or supervisor abuse and harass other women in the factory. To better understand the experiences of women the garment industry with GBVH and elevate their voices in advocacy campaigns, the Solidarity Center partnered with six trade union federations and three civil society organizations to conduct participatory action research.
Global Impact report: Eradicating Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at Work
The Solidarity Center Global Impact report highlights the Solidarity Center’s support of unions and civil society organizations in ending gender-based violence (GBVH) at work and showcases key outcomes, including a landmark agreement to address GBVH in Lesotho garment factories.
Download it here.
Securing Equal Access to Decent Work in Nigeria: A Report by Workers with Disabilities
A survey of more than 600 workers with disabilities in Nigeria conducted by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Women Commission and the Solidarity Center in collaboration with Nigerian unions and disability rights organizations, finds that most workers with disabilities cannot access decent work as defined by the UN International Labor Organization (ILO).The study—for its sample size and breadth, as well as for the collaboration between trade unions and disability rights organizations—is the first of its kind.
2021–2022 Agreements to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in Lesotho
A report by Workers’ Rights Watch tracks progress on a precedent-setting, worker-centered program in Lesotho garment factories to prevent gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) of garment workers producing jeans for the global market. The Lesotho Agreements represent the first instance in which brands and their suppliers have entered into enforceable agreements with worker representatives to stop GBVH and protect workers. Sexual violence against garment workers is a well-documented worldwide problem.
Download it here.
2022 Annual Report
In 2022, the Solidarity Center marked a quarter century of supporting embattled workers, advocating and litigating for change, and celebrating worker rights advances in troubled times. As crackdowns on fundamental civil rights intensify around the world, workers and their unions are often the first targets. However, with their collective strength, workers and their movements have proven to be the largest force for protecting democracy. Learn more about how the Solidarity Center is standing with workers, trade unions and their movements in 60-plus countries reaching more than 70 million workers in our 2022 annual report.
Roadmap To Justice: How Kyrgyzstan’s Platform Economy Workers Can Stand For Their Rights (2022)
The digital platform share in the economy in Kyrgyzstan is growing, and with that growth, an increasing number of people are working through these platforms. Due to its growth, the vulnerability of workers in this sector has also become more apparent, especially for marginalized groups.
Roadmap To Justice: How Kazakhstan’s Platform Economy Workers Can Stand For Their Rights (2022)
Kazakhstan has the most developed digital market in the region, and digital platform companies operate in Kazakhstan’s major cities. With the sector’s growth, the vulnerability of workers in this segment has also become more apparent, especially for marginalized groups.
