The paper is a situationer on the textile and garment industry that was prepared as an input to the action planning workshops of the Clothing and Textile Industry Tripartite Council (CTITC).  It presents a trade and employment backgrounder, then proceeds with a discussion on challenges that the social partners will need to face in view of the abolition of quotas under the Multi-Fibre Agreement.  The challenges include:

• The need to move up the value chain by focusing on branded products, developing Asian brands, expanding emerging markets, and gaining more market niches.  

• Improvement of labor productivity thru training and retraining

• Promotion of flexible and performance-based wage schemes

• Getting unions to participate in the implementation of adjustment measures that may be appropriate to the post-MFA regime and in the design and implementation of the industry restructuring plan.

• Managing the social costs through enabling interventions toward a shift to other occupations or livelihood opportunities