On March 20, 2013, FLA commissioned Comisión para la Verificación de Códigos de Conducta (COVERCO) to investigate incidents of violence against workers and allegations that their freedom of association rights had been violated at the Tecnotex factory in Nicaragua. The factory manufactures products for Gear for Sports, Inc. (GFSI) under a licensing agreement from Under Armour.
COVERCO found that five workers involved in forming a union had been dismissed, and GFSI has developed an action plan with factory management to ensure workers’ right to freedom of association is respected moving forward. Factory management has agreed to reinstate the dismissed workers and compensate them for lost wages. FLA will monitor the implementation of the remediation plan at Tecnotex and expects an update from GFSI later in the year.
