News about Our Work - 16 January 2019 The repression of protesting workers in Bangladesh shows the government's lack of respect for fundamental freedoms Photo: © NGWF Bonn. Following the recent revision of minimum wages in the textile sector, thousands of workers have taken to the streets in Bangladesh in protest. In the capital Dhaka, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into the crowd, after which one worker died and many others were injured. ‘The campaign for clean clothing strongly condemns the violent curtailment of the right to demonstrate“, says Artemisa Ljarja, Rapid Action Coordinator of the Clean Clothes Campaign. Tense situation since 2016 The recent protests in Bangladesh are in line with the unresolved Ashulia crisis of 2016 and against the background of a generally fatal situation in the country in terms of trade union freedom. In 2016, wage strikes in the Ashulia region led to the closure of dozens of factories for weeks; More than 1,500 workers were arrested, 30 detained and about 50 trade unionists had to go into hiding. Many union representatives are still facing charges, putting them at constant risk of arrest. Wage increase leaves majority of workers out The Bangladeshi government ignored calls for higher wages in 2016. Well, in the lengthy process of revising minimum wages at the end of 2018, it again ignored the workers' demand for 16,000 Taka (167 euros) minimum wage. Instead, the new minimum wage for the lowest-skilled workers in the textile industry stands at 8,000 Taka, just half of it. For the majority of workers, the basic wage hardly increases as a result of the revision. Despite the fear and oppression experienced by trade unionists in Bangladesh on a daily basis, workers' and trade union representatives have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with the process and outcome of the revision of minimum wages. Fashion Brands Behave Quietly During the revision process, the Clean Clothes Campaign called on international brands and retailers to publicly support workers' demands for 16,000 takas. Some fashion brands expressed their hope for a fair trial in which the voices of the workers were heard, but did not name any concrete sum. However, since the announcement of the new minimum wage, which is far below livelihood wage calculations, they have not commented on it. BACKGROUND: The current demonstrations are also taking place at a time when the eyes of the world and the fashion industry are already focused on Bangladesh: In the elections of the 30th In December 2018, the ruling party achieved a landslide-like victory, which is seen quite controversially and the Supreme Court is currently ruling on the future of the Bangladesh Accord's activities for fire safety and building security, in which many major fashion brands are also members, in addition to the campaign for clean clothing and trade unions. More here and here. Triggers of the protests The renewed protests were triggered by regulations in the 2018 wage revisions, which have different effects depending on the grade. For some salary levels, the basic wage was not increased, but other allowances were adjusted. However, overtime payments, severance payments and premiums are calculated on the basis of this largely unchanged basic wage, so this revision does not increase benefits for the majority of workers in the clothing sector. Find out more here and here. Even during the new wave of protests, there are still unconfirmed reports of intimidation of trade unionists and legal complaints against workers participating in the protests. National Labour Law and Trade Union Freedom Although the Bangladeshi government has repeatedly pledged internationally to improve the situation for trade unions in the country, recent amendments to the law have not addressed national and international concerns. Freedom of assembly remains severely restricted, which hinders the representation of workers' interests. For example, reducing the share of the workforce needed to form a trade union from 30 to 20 percent still violates the ILO's core labour standards. The registration of trade unions remains cumbersome and their acceptance arbitrary. Read more about CCC's complaint to the EU Ombudsman here Press release of the Clean Clothes Campaign Contact: Artemisa Ljarja, Express Actions/ Campaign for Clean Clothes, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) is committed to fair working conditions in the production of clothing and sporting goods. It is an alliance of campaigns in 15 European countries with a network of over 250 partner organisations worldwide.
