Bangladesh Clothing Industry Sweatshops Abuse Lynching

In Bangladesh, millions of garment workers are waiting for the results of labor negotiations between trade union representatives and garment makers. The government side is also involved in the negotiations, trying to find more benefits for garment workers.

In just a few years, the South Asian country, which has 150 million of the population, is already among the world's largest exporters of clothing. However, the recent clashes between garment workers and manufacturers have highlighted the "bruising" of the domestic garment industry.

Negotiations affect the whole country.

In July 28th, a Wage Commission, which was temporarily constituted by three representatives from the government, garment manufacturers and trade unions, will announce the results of the labour negotiations. Will the treatment of garment workers in Bangladesh improve?

The workers in Bangladesh garment factories can get 1662 Tucker minimum wage at the moment, about 25 US dollars. On the 22 day of last month, tens of thousands of garment workers in the industrial area near the capital city of Dhaka took to the streets to protest against low wages. This demonstration is a great blow to the newly emerging manufacturing country.

Shanti Bergum, 34, has been working at a local clothing factory since she was 17. Bergum said: "the outcome of next week's negotiations is very important, whether for workers, or for the industry, or even for the whole country."

The labor negotiations also affect the nerves of some international business giants, such as WAL-MART, H&M, etc., and even affect the global clothing market.

Sweatshops abuse Lynching

After visiting many garment factory workers, Agence France-Presse found that many garment factories violated local labor laws, such as arrears of wages, forced overtime work and even abuse of "lynching".

Bergum told Agence France-Presse that the factory had not paid her for 3 months. When she went to the manager's theory, he was brutally treated. "He hit my head on a sewing machine. I stayed in the hospital for 3 months afterwards.

Nargi Ahelle, the 18 year old girl, has worked in a garment factory for two and a half years. And last week, she lost her job. "When they found me taking part in the protest, the manager took my mouth and grabbed my hair and dragged me out of the factory." Ahelle said that the factory was also in arrears with her salary, but it was estimated that she might not get the money.

The factory owner is not going to compromise.

Bangladesh government, garment industry representatives and industrial representatives are still negotiating salary increases. The Union called for raising the minimum wage to 5000 Taka, equivalent to $75. But the manufacturers are opposed to the pay increase plan. The head of a garment workers union believes that if Labour demands can not be satisfied, workers may take to the streets again.

Domestic labor conflicts have also attracted the attention of senior government officials. This week, Premier Shechhasina Wajed was making concessions to workers in the increasingly demanding garment industry. But the owners of the garment factories do not seem to be willing to compromise. Farooq Hassan, acting president of Bangladesh garment manufacturers and Export Association, said Bangladesh was unfairly slandered in terms of wages. "Our competitors, such as Kampuchea and Vietnam, pay wages to their employees as much as we do," he said.

Agence France-Presse analyzed that even if the employers and employees finally reached a pay increase agreement, it would be a difficult problem to implement. According to Bangladesh official statistics, nearly 1/4 of garment manufacturers have not complying with the standards set by the state in terms of minimum wage, working hours and working conditions.