{"id":20754,"date":"2022-11-14T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-14T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/?post_type=project&p=20754"},"modified":"2025-10-06T18:46:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T17:46:31","slug":"beyond-tier-one-supporting-workers-rights-and-mitigating-child-labor-risks-in-smes-in-the-garment-and-textile-sectors-in-turkiye","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/www.fairlabor.org\/projects\/beyond-tier-one-supporting-workers-rights-and-mitigating-child-labor-risks-in-smes-in-the-garment-and-textile-sectors-in-turkiye\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Tier One: Supporting Workers’ Rights and Mitigating Child Labor Risks in SMEs in the Garment and Textile Sectors in T\u00fcrkiye"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With funding from the United States Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in 2019, Fair Labor Association (FLA) began a project to promote decent work and mitigate child labor in the upper tiers of garment and textile supply chains in T\u00fcrkiye. This multi-stakeholder project builds on FLA\u2019s efforts to address decent working conditions<\/a>, child labor<\/a>, and responsible recruitment across various sectors in T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeyond Tier One: Supporting Workers’ Rights and Mitigating Child Labor Risks in SMEs in the Garment and Textile Sectors in T\u00fcrkiye\u201d aims to increase awareness about labor issues, prevent labor standards violations, and provide alternatives to protect vulnerable workers (including children) in small and medium-size enterprises. To achieve this, FLA has partnered with local stakeholders, including industry associations, brands, suppliers, workers\u2019 unions, and the Turkish government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workers in the agriculture, footwear, garment, textiles, and furniture sectors often face excessive work hours, poor compensation, and no access to remedy. The upper tiers of these supply chains are difficult to penetrate, with high risks of child labor, poor health and safety conditions, unethical recruitment practices, and lack of written contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Migrant laborers are often vulnerable to such risks; T\u00fcrkiye hosts an estimated four million Syrian migrants<\/a>, many of whom are reported by UNHCR<\/a> t<\/mark>o be working in precarious conditions in informal unregulated sectors. In an effort to address the increased risk for Syrian refugees working in T\u00fcrkiye, FLA has increased awareness of Syrian workers and advocated for their work permits with the national government<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about this project, email Michiko Shima<\/a>, Technical Director, Agriculture and Supply Chain Innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n