On June 15, 2024, Guatemalan union leader Anastacio Tzib Caal was murdered in Villa Canales, outside of Guatemala City. With a long trajectory of promoting worker rights in the garment industry, he had recently been elected general secretary of the SITRATEXPIA II union at SAE-A Trading Corporation’s Texpia II apparel factory, which produces clothing for several well-known international brands, including Carhartt, Target and Walmart. Other major brands, including Gap and Polo Ralph Lauren, source from other SAE-A-owned factories in Guatemala.

The Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL) recently published a report on freedom of association in the garment industry in Cambodia and was confronted with a smear campaign and false accusations shortly after its release.

The state of emergency first declared by the Salvadoran government in March 2022 to curb rampant gang violence has now been repeatedly extended for over two years.

While much of the population supports the measures because of the lower levels of gang violence in certain areas, civil society organizations and families negatively impacted by mass detentions have questioned what the policy has cost in terms of human rights. 

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Clean Clothes Campaign, of which MSN is a member, are urgently calling on the Sri Lankan government to halt the current proposals for a new labour law and ensure that future labour reforms are only proposed and adopted following proper consultation with workers and their representatives.

Salvadoran unions, MSN and other international labour rights organizations are calling on Specialized Bicycle Components and Hanesbrands to make financial contributions to remedy a year-and-a-half-long wage theft case from the APS El Salvador factory.