Better news for Bangladesh women garment workers
-23/06/06
Improvements in the pay and
Better news for Bangladesh women garment workers
-23/06/06
Improvements in the pay and conditions of garment workers in Bangladesh should become a reality after thousands of employees in the capital Dhaka protested against poor working conditions, says UK-based international development agency Christian Aid.
Organisations representing garments workers, who are mostly women, have been pressing for better conditions including days off, fair wages paid on time, better safety and maternity provision.
In May 2006 a dispute over salaries at a knitwear factory sparked the action which closed dozens of factories in Dhaka and resulted in violent confrontations with police.
As a result the government, employees and factory owners signed an agreement paving the way for improvements.
The Sramabikash Kendra (Trades Union Education Centre) said exploitation by manufacturing companies, most of which have links with overseas firms, has become routine and employers often use force against workers who complain.
UBINIG, an organization backed by Christian Aid and other church groups, is providing legal support to garments workers.
The group is also campaigning for the establishment of creches inside garment factories, because female workers are not allowed any leave to feed newborn babies.
Dilara Begum, a 21-year-old woman from Dhaka, commented that she and her co-workers should have organised a movement a long time ago.
She explained: ìWe work but we do not get due wage. We work but we cannot even buy our food. We cannot pay the rent of even a small space for three female workers to stay together. The oppression and exploitation has crossed our tolerance limit.î
By law the minimum wage should be reviewed every two years but it has not changed since 1994. A lack of jobs means most workers stay on despite a sharp increase in the cost of living.
Safety is another issue. Workers are often locked into buildings in slave-like conditions. According to UBINIG, during the past 15 years 291 workers have died after being trapped inside factories that caught fire.
In April 2005, 300 workers lost their lives when the nine-storey premises of a sweater factory collapsed, allegedly due to poor building standards.
Changes in international trade rules may also have also contributed. Unions have blamed liberalisation of the industry for promoting competition that has encouraged manufacturers to cut costs.
More recently, quotas imposed on Chinaís garments industry have resulted in a flood of orders from buyers in Bangladesh, putting pressure on factories to increase output.
In some cases this means workers being forced to work unpaid overtime or night-shifts, which are illegal for women.
Christian Aid is an ecumenical development and advocacy organization supported by a range of Protestant and Anglican churches in Britain. It works with organizations empowering poor and marginalized people throughout the developing world, without regard to creed or status.
[Also on Ekklesia: Decommissioned gun sculptures raise cash for peace project 15/06/06; Christian Aid and CAFOD respond to Indonesia tragedy; More church agencies gear up aid for Java quake zone; Church and development groups call for tougher corporate monitoring; Donít use aid to proselytize, Christians urged; Grant trade justice, aid and church groups tell Peter Mandelson; Aid agency launches emergency appeal for East Africa; Christian agencies welcome Sudan peace but warn over Darfur; Leading church aid agency defends Norman Kember’s integrity; Bangladesh Christian leader gives stark bomb blast warning]
Better news for Bangladesh women garment workers
-23/06/06
Improvements in the pay and conditions of garment workers in Bangladesh should become a reality after thousands of employees in the capital Dhaka protested against poor working conditions, says UK-based international development agency Christian Aid.
Organisations representing garments workers, who are mostly women, have been pressing for better conditions including days off, fair wages paid on time, better safety and maternity provision.
In May 2006 a dispute over salaries at a knitwear factory sparked the action which closed dozens of factories in Dhaka and resulted in violent confrontations with police.
As a result the government, employees and factory owners signed an agreement paving the way for improvements.
The Sramabikash Kendra (Trades Union Education Centre) said exploitation by manufacturing companies, most of which have links with overseas firms, has become routine and employers often use force against workers who complain.
UBINIG, an organization backed by Christian Aid and other church groups, is providing legal support to garments workers.
The group is also campaigning for the establishment of creches inside garment factories, because female workers are not allowed any leave to feed newborn babies.
Dilara Begum, a 21-year-old woman from Dhaka, commented that she and her co-workers should have organised a movement a long time ago.
She explained: ìWe work but we do not get due wage. We work but we cannot even buy our food. We cannot pay the rent of even a small space for three female workers to stay together. The oppression and exploitation has crossed our tolerance limit.î
By law the minimum wage should be reviewed every two years but it has not changed since 1994. A lack of jobs means most workers stay on despite a sharp increase in the cost of living.
Safety is another issue. Workers are often locked into buildings in slave-like conditions. According to UBINIG, during the past 15 years 291 workers have died after being trapped inside factories that caught fire.
In April 2005, 300 workers lost their lives when the nine-storey premises of a sweater factory collapsed, allegedly due to poor building standards.
Changes in international trade rules may also have also contributed. Unions have blamed liberalisation of the industry for promoting competition that has encouraged manufacturers to cut costs.
More recently, quotas imposed on Chinaís garments industry have resulted in a flood of orders from buyers in Bangladesh, putting pressure on factories to increase output.
In some cases this means workers being forced to work unpaid overtime or night-shifts, which are illegal for women.
Christian Aid is an ecumenical development and advocacy organization supported by a range of Protestant and Anglican churches in Britain. It works with organizations empowering poor and marginalized people throughout the developing world, without regard to creed or status.
[Also on Ekklesia: Decommissioned gun sculptures raise cash for peace project 15/06/06; Christian Aid and CAFOD respond to Indonesia tragedy; More church agencies gear up aid for Java quake zone; Church and development groups call for tougher corporate monitoring; Donít use aid to proselytize, Christians urged; Grant trade justice, aid and church groups tell Peter Mandelson; Aid agency launches emergency appeal for East Africa; Christian agencies welcome Sudan peace but warn over Darfur; Leading church aid agency defends Norman Kember’s integrity; Bangladesh Christian leader gives stark bomb blast warning]