Ethiopia: Pay Cuts and Forced Overtime – Covid-19 Takes Heavy Toll On Ethiopia’s Garment Workers

Workers report further worsening of conditions as short-staffed factories attempt to recover orders lost early within the pandemic even before COVID-19 struck, the ladies stitching clothes at Ethiopia’s Hawassa tract were among the world’s worst-paid garment workers – many making but $30 per month. According to sources, today, pay cuts and overtime became common in short-staffed factories abandoned by many former employees – some too frightened of catching the coronavirus to return.

A worker said a number of her colleagues had not come to Hawassa. They were furloughed within the early months of the pandemic because the global apparel industry was hammered by cancelled orders. In recent months, bosses wanting to recover lost business are forcing the remaining workers to select up the slack, Tigist – whose name has been changed to guard her identity – and other workers said.

Data source: Reuters