Pakistan's factory workers swelter in extreme heat as global brands fail
on safety pledges
[October 21, 2026] By
VICTORIA MILKO
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Machines whirred around Siddiqui as her vision
blurred and her heart hammered.
The garment factory on the outskirts of Karachi was sweltering. The room
was packed with sweating fellow workers and huge industrial equipment
that radiated heat. The air felt thick with the humidity of this
summer's monsoon.
Siddiqui, who The Associated Press is identifying only by surname
because she fears retaliation by her employer, felt like she was
suffocating. Concerned co-workers called over her supervisor.
“The supervisor said, ‘Just complete this work,’” Siddiqui, 28, told The
Associated Press. “Suddenly darkness came before my eyes.”
Exhausted by the heat, she collapsed.
Extreme heat — intensified by climate change — is creating dangerous
conditions for factory workers in Pakistan. From blue jeans to homeware,
these factories produce goods for global companies that have pledged to
protect workers’ safety. But experts and labor rights advocates say
those promises remain unfulfilled, as temperatures rise and workers pay
the price with their health and safety.
The AP interviewed more than a dozen workers in Karachi, all of whom
described scorching workplaces, absent heat protocols and negative
health effects, including fainting. They spoke on the condition that
their identities be protected out of fear of retaliation by their
employers. All but one said they lost wages when heat-related illness
forced them to miss work. Ten of the workers made goods for global
brands sold in the United States and Europe.
Workers are exposed to scorching conditions inside factories
For workers like Siddiqui, extreme heat — temperatures at or above 32.2
C (90 F) combined with high humidity — isn't just a workplace hazard.
Living with her six children in a small room with no air conditioning on
the outskirts of Karachi, temperatures routinely exceed 37.8 C (100 F)
during heat waves.
Inside the garment factory where she stitches clothes for Spanish brands
like Zara and Mango, it’s even hotter. Huge machines churn heat into the
air. There are fans, but they're often broken or small. Windows are
slitlike and set high, or even closed to deter theft, further trapping
the heat, workers told AP.
"Smoke, heat, you face it," said a 34-year-old male factory worker.
Health issues and lost wages are common
Extreme heat is a silent killer: It can show few outward symptoms while
causing severe internal damage and worsening conditions, including
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and asthma. Studies have linked it to
dehydration, heatstroke, organ failure and death.
“The longer you work in the heat, the less that you’re protected from it
and the health risks rise,” said Andreas Flouris, the founder of FAME
Lab, which researches heat's impact on health.
The number of people exposed to extreme heat is growing exponentially
due to climate change. Heat stress is a leading cause of weather-related
deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Studies by World
Weather Attribution say that climate change has also drastically
increased the frequency, intensity and risks of extreme heatwaves in
Pakistan.
Workers interviewed by AP described temporary muscle paralysis, swollen
limbs, blood pressure swings, breathing problems, blurred vision and
exhaustion that peaked in the hottest months. One worker showed scaly
skin rashes on her arms from routine chemical exposure, saying how the
pain intensified during summer.
All said they'd seen co-workers faint from the heat. Several said they'd
fainted themselves, some multiple times. Those who fainted were often
only offered a short break or sugary drink before being told to resume
work.
They said complaining to supervisors led to no changes.
Only one worker had paid sick leave. The rest told AP that missed hours
— even from fainting on the job or from heat-related illnesses — meant
slashed wages.
Siddiqui wept on the floor of her home as she described fainting and
being sent to the hospital. Earning 15,000 Pakistani rupees ($54) a
month, the hospital visit cost, which her employer refused to pay, left
her unable to buy food for her children.
“Sometimes they eat one meal, sometimes they don’t eat a meal,” she
said, adding that the younger children sometimes cry from hunger. “The
older ones have gotten used to it.”
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Workers stitch clothes at a factory with fans in Karachi, Pakistan,
Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
 Solutions exist but are often
absent
There are simple, scalable and economically feasible measures
factories can take to protect their workers from extreme heat,
including accurately measuring temperature and humidity inside
workplaces, providing cold drinking water and allowing workers
breaks, said Flouris.
Other solutions include installing barriers to block radiant heat
from machinery, installing quality ventilation and cooling systems
and painting rooftops white to deflect sunlight.
“We’re talking about some very simple strategies,” he said.
Factory workers told AP that almost none of these measures were
taken in their workplaces.
Several workers said their factories’ metal roofs make the summer
heat unbearable, yet they receive no extra water or breaks.
All the workers said there were no heat sensors installed. Only one
worker said a ventilation system was installed at their workplace,
but that it was only turned on when auditors visited the factory for
inspection. The workers said water was provided by their employers,
but that it was rarely cold and they weren't sure if it was clean.
“Sometimes it smells like dead rats," said the 34-year-old male
worker.
Companies pledge protection but enforcement is scarce
Pakistan has national and provincial laws as well as constitutional
protections meant to shield workers from such conditions, said
Farhan Haider, a program manager at the Pakistan Institute of Labour
Education and Research in Karachi.
Some companies supplied by the factories, including Inditex—Zara's
parent company— and Mango have signed legally binding agreements to
protect workers or have their own company safety pledges.
The most concrete is the International Accord for Health and Safety
in the Textile and Garment Industry, which in 2025 announced it
would treat heat as a workplace safety risk and develop heat stress
protocols, which are under review but not yet in effect.
Representatives from the Pakistan Accord, a country-specific safety
program that operates as an extension of the broader International
Accord, did not reply to a request for interview or comment.
Brands have a responsibility to ensure their suppliers are held
accountable for worker safety, including extreme heat, said Cara
Schulte, a researcher at Climate Rights International who published
a report in 2025 about worker conditions in Pakistan.
In an email to AP, a spokesperson from Inditex said the company is
strengthening efforts to address heat stress in its supply chain
through updated factory audits, guidance and training for suppliers
and collaboration with industry initiatives. A spokesperson for
Mango called worker health and safety a “non-negotiable priority,”
citing their supplier code of conduct, which was “strengthened this
year to explicitly address extreme temperatures and heat stress.”
A government spokesperson for Sindh province, where Karachi is
located, acknowledged implementation remains an issue.
"The government is making efforts to enforce these regulations, but
given the province’s vast size and the presence of numerous
industrial zones, complaints are inevitable,” said Sadia Javed, who
is also a member of the Provincial Assembly.
For workers like Siddiqui, complaints remain ignored as temperatures
continue to rise.
"If you feel too unwell, (supervisors) say, ‘This is an everyday
problem. Women cry and complain a lot, but the work still must be
done,''' she said.
___
Associated Press video journalist Muhammad Farooq, reporter Adil
Jawad and freelance journalist Pernia Mubashir contributed to this
story. AP reporter Anton L. Delgado contributed to this report from
Bangkok.
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