Labour Behind The Label

Aminul Islam, a Bangladeshi labor rights activist and former apparel worker was tortured and murdered last week in Dhaka. His body was dumped outside of the capital city and was found by local police last Thursday. According to the police report, Aminul Islam's body bore signs of brutal torture. It is most likely that Aminul was murdered because of his labour rights work.

The death of two more garment workers in Bangladesh has led to campaigners renewing calls for urgent action to address safety issues in the Bangaldesh garment industry.

This publication presents three case studies, alongside ideas of how to use them in fashion education, to illustrate different ways sustainability is being approached and interpreted in Bangladesh by diverse companies.

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Kalpona Akter and Babul Akhter from LBL partner organisation, Bangladesh Workers Solidarity Centre, are due to appear in court later this month after a judge ruled their cases should be processed under a speedy trial system. Labour Behind the Label believes there is strong evidence that these cases have been fabricated and is calling on Walmart, a major buyer from one of the factories involved, to get the charges against them dropped.

At least 28 more Bangladeshi garment workers have died and dozens more have been injured after a fire broke out on the 14th December 2010. The blaze ripped through the 9th and 10th floors of the “That's It Sportswear Ltd” factory located 16 miles from the capital Dhaka.

A new report by SweatFree Communities demands an end to the suppression and criminalisation of trade union organisers and human rights advocates in Bangladesh.

Labour- and human-rights organisations in Europe, the U.S., and Canada are condemning the arrest late Thursday night of leaders of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity (BCWS) and calling for their immediate release. Ms. Kalpona Akter and Mr. Babul Ahkter were arrested at 2:00 am in Dhaka by twenty armed police.

Since the announcement of the new minimum wage proposal on July 29, workers continued their protests in the streets. Violent clashes between workers and the police resulted in many arrests, and cases against thousands of workers, often anonymously, have been filed. On July 30, more criminal cases were filed against the BCWS staff and other worker leaders. Your urgent support is needed to stop the crackdown on the labour rights organisations.

On July 30, the Bangladesh government announced its proposal to raise the minimum monthly wage to 3000 Taka (€32), effective November 1, 2010. Of that amount, 2,000 takas would be the basic pay while 800 takas would be paid in house rent and 200 takas in health allowance. The apprentice level wage would increase to 2,500 takas (€27), up from the present 1,200 takas (€13).

PRESS RELEASE:

Garment-workers unions and labour-rights organisations have reacted with indignation and disappointment at the newly-proposed increase to the minimum wage in Bangladesh' garment industry. Yesterday the National Wage Board recommended an increase of the minimum wage to 3000 Bangladeshi 'taka' (£27).