Workers at a NGWF trade union demonstration in Bangladesh 21 April 2023 10 years after Rana Plaza: What has happened? Ten years ago, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,000 people. Building safety in factories has been improved by international agreements, such as the Accord. But what has happened in terms of working conditions? In February we were in Bangladesh and spoke with our partner organization NGWF. According to Amirul Haque Amin, president of the National Garments Workers Federation (NGWF), individual safety standards in factories, such as fire safety, have improved. However, the working conditions of the seamstresses are not. They still don't earn enough to make a living and that of their family. Wages in Bangladesh have not risen in five years. Currently, the salary of a seamstress is about 8,000 Taka per month, which corresponds to about 72 €. Far too little to cover the cost of rent, food and medical care. Trade unions are therefore demanding 23,000 Taka for the upcoming wage increase, but this minimum wage would still not correspond to a livelihood wage. At the same time, the pressure on the workers is increasing, as the targets for the quantities per day continue to rise. Bangladesh now exports more textiles than before the pandemic. It is also still difficult to organize trade unions. Rana Plaza opened its eyes to the general public about this exploitative industry 10 years ago. Sadly, this has not changed much in the working conditions of the seamstresses. Sign now The signature action Good Clothes and Fair Pay More information .The full interview with Amirul Haque Amin, can be found on our
