DHAKA (REUTERS) - Millions of garment workers could lose their jobs as global brands are demanding price cuts and delaying payments to suppliers who are desperate for orders to survive the new coronavirus pandemic, US researchers said on Friday (Oct 16). Suppliers have been asked to make their prices an average of 12 per cent cheaper than last year, research by the Center for Global Workers' Rights (CGWR) at Penn State University found, describing such practices as "leveraging desperation". In a survey of 75 factories in 15 countries, suppliers said they had to wait an average of 77 days for payment, compared to 43 days before the pandemic, raising fears of further factory closures in an industry employing 60 million people worldwide. "We are seeing a dramatic squeeze down of price, reduced orders and late payment," said Mark Anner, author of the report and director of the CGWR. "This worries me for the wellbeing of the suppliers and the workers. This will affect the small and medium suppliers first." Fashion companies cancelled orders worth billions of dollars earlier this year as Covid-19 shuttered stores worldwide, leading to wage losses of up to US$5.8 billion, according to pre...