Bangladesh: Fashion Giants Under Fire For Failing To Safeguard Labour Rights

While the fashion industry continues to boom across the globe, several fashion giants like H&M and Zara are facing mounting criticism over their inadequate measures to safeguard the basic rights of garment workers in Bangladesh, as highlighted by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). A year after a violent crackdown on workers protesting for fair wages, thousands remain vulnerable due to ongoing legal threats, prompting labor rights advocates to demand accountability and action from these prominent brands.

Ongoing Legal Threats to Workers

According to a recent statement from the CCC, approximately 40,000 workers continue to be at risk of arrest due to repressive legal charges that stem from their protests for better wages. The statement emphasizes that these charges have been enforced through blank arrest warrants, making the situation precarious for many individuals involved in the labor movement.

In the wake of last year’s protests, an international campaign has emerged, spearheaded by campaigners, labor rights advocates, and trade union representatives. They are collectively calling for the dismissal of the 36 legal cases filed against worker groups and protesters. The urgency of their campaign reflects the broader concern for the treatment of workers in the garment industry, particularly in Bangladesh, where labor rights violations have been reported extensively.

Calls for Brand Responsibility

Anne Bienias, a lead campaigner for the CCC, has emphasized the responsibility that brands like H&M and Zara have towards the workers whose rights are being infringed. She stated, “Brands such as H&M and Zara have a responsibility to ensure that complaints against unnamed protesters cannot be used to intimidate workers and their representatives.” This statement underscores the brands’ obligation to create a safe environment for workers advocating for their rights.

Bienias further highlighted the stark contrast between the profits of these brands and the dire conditions faced by workers. “The refusal of brands to support union-backed wage demands despite extreme poverty and their lack of willingness to get these cases dropped illustrates who profits from the status quo and who doesn’t. Brands clearly do,” she remarked. This perspective sheds light on the ongoing tension between corporate interests and the well-being of garment workers.

The Link Between Brands and Legal Cases

The CCC has identified 45 fashion brands connected to suppliers responsible for filing charges against garment workers in Bangladesh. Over the past year, the organization has actively pressured these brands to ensure that the baseless allegations against workers are dismissed. While some companies have taken initial steps to address the issue, a year later, not a single case has been resolved, indicating a lack of sustained commitment from the brands involved.

To amplify their efforts, the CCC is set to launch a new action tracker that will highlight which brands are associated with outstanding arrest warrants. This includes major names such as H&M, Zara, Next, Matalan, Levi’s, and Bestseller. The tracker aims to expose the industry’s complicity in the ongoing violations of workers’ rights and to ensure that brands are held accountable for their suppliers’ actions.

The Anniversary of Protest and Violence

The launch of this coordinated effort coincides with the anniversary of last year’s widespread wage protests in Bangladesh, during which workers expressed their frustration over inadequate wage negotiations. The protests were met with a brutal crackdown from police and military forces, resulting in the tragic loss of four workers’ lives, hundreds of injuries, and 131 arrests.

Kalpona Akter, president of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, stressed the need for systemic change in the industry. “In an industry where union repression is rife, getting the cases dropped is just the first but very necessary step toward creating an industry where workers can live a decent life off their wages, and where barriers to freedom of association are removed. We won’t live in fear. We are calling for living wages that support our families,” she stated.