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Textile factory in Bangladesh Photo: © Gisela Burckhardt Textile factory in Bangladesh Photo: © Gisela Burckhardt, FEMNET After months of international protests by trade unions and non-governmental organisations worldwide, an agreement was reached between trade unions, the Ministry of Labour and employers in Bangladesh to release all imprisoned trade unionists. The Clean Clothes Campaign welcomes this agreement as a positive first step, but warns that it has not yet weathered the crisis in Bangladesh's textile sector.

The agreement between IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), the Ministry of Labour and the employers' association BGMEA came about on 23 February 2017 after some international apparel companies cancelled their participation in a conference of the apparel industry (Dhaka Apparel Summit).

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Logos of the organisations and associations involved

In a written appeal to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, and the local Association of Textile Companies (BGMEA), the Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE), the Gesamtverband textile+mode, the Campaign for Clean Clothes (CCC) and the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) are committed to upholding international human rights standards in the textile sector.

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Textile trade unionists on strike on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFTextile trade unionists on strike on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFBonn/Berlin. Since December 2016, many trade unionists and workers in Bangladesh have been arrested and trade union offices have been closed for participating in a peaceful strike to triple wages. In addition, hundreds of workers have been reported as unidentified and over 1,500 workers have been dismissed from factories producing clothing for H&M, Inditex (Zara/Bershka), VF (North Face) and Gap. Bangladesh's textile industry has one of the lowest wages in the region, which hasn't risen in three years despite inflation.

Bangladesh benefits from the EU’s ‘Everything But Arms’ trade agreement, which is part of the International Tariff Preference System (GSP) and guarantees duty-free access to the European market for all goods except arms and ammunition for 49 least developed countries, including Bangladesh. But can this tariff relief be granted in the case of a massive violation of elementary rights such as the core labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO)? As Bangladesh is keen to benefit soon from the GSP+, which explicitly links the granting of duty-free status to compliance with social standards, the CCC considers it necessary for the EU to launch a review of Bangladesh's compliance with human rights and the cessation of trade facilitation if labour rights continue to be violated.

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Textile trade unionists on strike on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFTextile trade unionists on strike on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFBonn/Berlin. Since December 2016, many trade unionists and workers in Bangladesh have been arrested and trade union offices have been closed for participating in a peaceful strike to triple wages. In addition, hundreds of workers have been reported as unidentified and over 1,500 workers have been dismissed from factories producing clothing for H&M, Inditex (Zara/Bershka), VF (North Face) and Gap. Bangladesh's textile industry has one of the lowest wages in the region, which hasn't risen in three years despite inflation.

Bangladesh benefits from the EU’s ‘Everything But Arms’ trade agreement, which is part of the International Tariff Preference System (GSP) and guarantees duty-free access to the European market for all goods except arms and ammunition for 49 least developed countries, including Bangladesh. But can this tariff relief be granted in the case of a massive violation of elementary rights such as the core labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO)? As Bangladesh is keen to benefit soon from the GSP+, which explicitly links the granting of duty-free status to compliance with social standards, the CCC considers it necessary for the EU to launch a review of Bangladesh's compliance with human rights and the cessation of trade facilitation if labour rights continue to be violated.

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Demonstration of the NGWF on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFDemonstration of the NGWF on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFOn Friday, February 10, 2017, the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) and other unions once again demonstrated for improving the tense situation of trade unionists in Bangladesh. Several hundred seamstresses took part in the demonstration in Dhaka.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your demands are:

  1. the release of 25 wrongly imprisoned union members and activists.
  2. to drop the illegitimate lawsuits against 11 workers and activists.
  3. All unlawfully dismissed 2,600 workers from 65 factories (including 215 NGWF members in 24 factories) must be reinstated
  4. The police-closed branches of all trade union federations in Ashulia (NGWF was present here in 12 of 19 factories, 6 of which were illegally closed) and other affected districts of Dhaka, must be reopened so that they can resume their work.
  5. the immediate termination of all willful attempts to dissolve 19 factory unions (including 12 from NGWF).
  6. to compensate the workers of 84 factories whose wages have been unlawfully withheld.
  7. the average wage in all clothing factories must be increased by five percent per year since the last wage increase three years ago, previous arrears must be paid.
  8. the wages should be adjusted in the perspective of the cost of living of the workers in order to enable them to live a decent life through a decent wage (‘Living Wage’).
  9. an end to the harassment of six trade union leaders, including through the inspection and control of bank accounts of the trade unionists.

Demonstration of the NGWF on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFDemonstration of the NGWF on 10.02.2017. Photo: © NGWFWorkers in Bangladesh have been protesting peacefully for raising the minimum wage since December 2016 and have been harassed massively. FEMNET e.V. supports the demands of the trade unions as well as the petition of the International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), which calls on companies such as H&M, C&A or GAP to stand up for illegally arrested workers.

Sign the petition here:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/brands-respect-basic-rights

Title Report The Myanmar DilemaAmsterdam. After years of sanctions, trade with Myanmar (formerly Burma) is flourishing again. Low wages and favourable economic conditions are attracting garment production to Myanmar. Numerous European brands, including well-known brands such as H&M, C&A and Primark, are taking part in this race to the bottom. in a new report (PDF file of the English summary) detailing the miserable working conditions: Low salaries, massive overtime and child labour are therefore no exception. In the expansion of industry, land rights were also disregarded.

SOMO employee Maartje Theuws: “Clothing brands should think twice about whether they really want to produce in Myanmar. The risk of labour rights violations is very high. Companies should make an accurate analysis of all potential problems. Together with their suppliers, they need to identify and manage the risks before placing orders there. However, our research shows that companies do not.”

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Photo: © Rich LI, lLRFPhoto: © Rich LI, lLRFFEMNET supports the petition the International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), which calls on companies such as H&M, C&A and Inditex to stand up for illegally arrested workers.

Workers have been protesting in Bangladesh since December for raising the minimum wage. The strikers organized peaceful marches. But instead of making concessions, the factory owners filed criminal charges against trade unionists and workers. At least 24 activists and workers were arrested. A bail release was refused.

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Bangladesh strike. © CCC

The Clean Clothes Campaign is concerned about the safety of trade unionists and workers in Bangladesh. Some of them had apparently been arbitrarily arrested, while thousands of workers in Ashulia, an area in Dhaka, had participated in a strike for higher wages. The strike began on the 12th. December 2016 in the Windy Apparels factory, which was only recently mentioned in the news in connection with the death of an employee in October. The factory produces clothing for several brand companies, including H&M, Inditex (which owns the Zara brand), Esprit, Tesco, Arcadia, s.Oliver and Debenhams. Within a very short time, surrounding factories also took part in the strike. On the 20th In December 2016, 59 factories were closed.

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Living Wages: Explorer's NotebookCan't we just raise the price of every piece of clothing to make workers earn a little more...? In response to this question, the Fair Wear Foundation is presenting a new publication aimed, among other things, at clothing brands.

They often do not quite know where to start and how to introduce living wages. For this reason, FWF has compiled the Explorer's Notebook, which contains a variety of useful tips and examples to help brands take appropriate steps to pay higher wages for workers.

Based on case studies, the guide is the first publication of its kind to raise as many questions as it answers about the realisation of living wages.

The full Explorer’s Notebook is available as a free download from the Fair Wear Foundation:
Living Wages: an Explorer's Notebook (PDF file)

Logo of the Textile Alliance Statement by civil society in the Sustainable Textiles Alliance on the 2016 General Assembly

At the end of October, after long, not always easy negotiations, the steering committee gave the starting signal for the next phase of the textile alliance. Civil society in the Textile Alliance welcomes this agreement and sees it as an important first step towards improving working conditions in the value chain. All members now have to create their own implementation targets, so-called roadmaps, by the end of January 2017. The roadmaps will identify the areas where members will gradually commit their suppliers to better working conditions. The roadmaps are therefore central guidelines on what and how much members, especially companies, but also the public sector, are willing to contribute to the textile alliance in the coming period.

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Logo of the Textile Alliance Statement by civil society in the Sustainable Textiles Alliance on the 2016 General Assembly

At the end of October, after long, not always easy negotiations, the steering committee gave the starting signal for the next phase of the textile alliance. Civil society in the Textile Alliance welcomes this agreement and sees it as an important first step towards improving working conditions in the value chain. All members now have to create their own implementation targets, so-called roadmaps, by the end of January 2017. The roadmaps will identify the areas where members will gradually commit their suppliers to better working conditions. The roadmaps are therefore central guidelines on what and how much members, especially companies, but also the public sector, are willing to contribute to the textile alliance in the coming period.

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The National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) launched a campaign for higher wages in the Bangladeshi apparel industry on October 14, 2016. Under the title ‘Living wage...fair price of garment products’, the union calls for a fair wage for the approximately 4.2 million workers in the garment industry (of which approximately 3.2 million are women). A demonstration by the capital Dhaka with the participation of various national and local trade unions and other civil society organisations drew attention to the concerns of the workers.

NGWF demo 14.10.2016 in front of the press club in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: © NGWFNGWF demo 14.10.2016 in front of the press club in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: © NGWF

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