Hold our purses because the Better Work initiative has finally landed in Egypt. The programme, which aims to improve work conditions for workers all while boosting business in the ready-to-wear (RTW) industry, is here for good after a preliminary pilot phase they held between July 2017 and December 2018. After working with about 26 factories in garment exports, the initiative has decided to set foot into Umm Al Donia once and for all.

The issues to be tackled by Better Work include improving labour relations and compliance with national and international core labour standards. This doesn’t just make for a better work experience for workers, but improves social dialogue and competitiveness in the textile sector.

The initiative will begin offering factory assessment, advisory services, and training services to enhance responsible business practices in 30 factories at first, and then gradually expand to bigger numbers as progress is made. The initiative, which is under the umbrella of the International Labour Organization, is currently active in 1,700 factories reaching 2.4 million workers in countries like Bangladesh, Jordan, Nicaragua, Haiti and Cambodia, among others.