Garment workers, health, elderly - Bangladesh in 2019

“My name is Tahmina and I’m 25 years old. I worked as a garment worker for a 5.300BDT salary (58 EUR) per month but later, I became an operator in another factory and there I received 7,300BDT (80 EUR) as monthly salary. In 2015, I became a member of NGWF and attended several trainings, meetings and processions. I learned about the rights of workers and received women leadership training. In 2017, I started to organize workers by myself and in July I was elected secretary of our union. In 2019 however, I was fired verbally without any further notice from the factory. One month later, a grievance notice was sent to me for legal payment of 105,838BDT (1,150 EUR) to the factory management. I filed a case against them with the help of NGWF and their Legal Aid. The case was solved and I received 100,000BDT (1,087 EUR) as compensation. With that money, I bought some land for farming. I feel honored to be a member of NGWF and my dream is to grow awareness about labor rights among workers”.

First, NGWF is helping its garment workers members through legal aid assistance and advocates for better working conditions in Bangladesh through rallies, hunger strikes, human chains, memoranda handovers to the government, etc). In total, 62.330 members have improved their existing job, for example through basic training on labor rights and advanced training on collective bargaining. NGWF is also helping their members to get better social security coverage. Over 100.000 workers (67% women and 84% youngsters) were made more aware about social security through posters and leaflets and 55.000 workers were reached through their media releases regarding the situation and rights of garment workers. Many of the staff and members of NGWF are young workers, since they focus on youth leadership and development.

I am Sumi from Bhola Barishal in Bangladesh. I am 25 years old. I was forced by my parents to marry at the age of 17. As a day laborer, my husband hardly had any work. At that time, we could only eat one meal a day. I could not take care for my family, so I went to Dhaka on my own. There, I joined a button factory at the age of 19, which my husband also joined later. After working there for a couple of years, we got our first daughter and later we got a second one. Hence, we felt sick several times during that year. It was very hard to live with a limited budget, since we had to spent a lot for doctor visits and medicines. Then, I heard about a medical camp near the factory where I work. I went there and took a health insurance of GK. Now we can visit a doctor and buy medicines at a lower cost. Together with my husband I participated in some awareness raising trainings on various health issues, personal hygiene and occupational health safety. I also try to teach my children about personal hygiene. Now, my family feels less sick thanks to the health services provided by GK. 

The second WSM partner in Bangladesh is Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK), the largest health provider after the Bangladeshi government. They started out by focusing on the rural areas, but now they also include garment workers. As it became clear in the above testimony, through the services of GK more people have enrolled in social security schemes or systems of social insurance (like pensions, maternity benefits, unemployment benefits, etc.). People also have improved access to health, because they subscribed to a health insurance system or were reached by activities offering health services by partner organisations, such as health camps, awareness raising, health insurance, day observation, personal hygiene, etc. In 2019, over 100.000 members (54% women and 79% youth) have achieved better access to health services. GK also provided over 150 people with vocational skill training to be able to find a better job and to have an improved income security. For example: after completion of computer and embroidery training, 40 out of 60 women got new jobs.

The exchanges between GK and OKRA regarding elderly also continued, with OKRA Coordinator Mark DeSoete and three other staff from OKRA visiting Bangladesh. They also invited an actor who, based on his experiences in Bangladesh, created a play that will tour around the OKRA meeting points in Flanders during 2020 raising awareness about the issues of elderly and social protection.

Last, a lot of people benefited from the services provided by the WSM synergy program in Bangladesh. Nazma for example got training on social protection and labor law arranged by the synergy activity. As an activist and women leader, she was motived to learn about important labor laws and rights. On the 22nd of April 2019, all workers put forward a Charter of Demand to their factory management. Now workers get a weekly holiday, attendance bonus, maternity leave and casual leave with payment, medical facilities, etc. “Workers are finally enjoying their rights, which is a great achievement for me”, said Nazma.

As an impact of the activities of the WSM partners in the past three years, the WSM supported activities contributed that over 60.000 people found a new job or improved their existing job. Almost 300.000 people had better coverage, be it for social security or access to health. Three important legislation were also passed to benefit garment workers: the minimum wage was increased; Safe Working Condition were improved and freedom of Association for trade unions and collective bargaining were better guaranteed.

In 2019, over 600.000 people reached through:
For labour standards: over 160.000 garment workers (60% women and 70% youth) reached through:

• Over 150.000 garment workers are more aware of their rights through campaigns and public outreach. 
• Almost 3.000 garment workers are newly organized
• Almost 400 received basic or advanced training 
• Over 3.200 garment workers received legal assistance. 
• Over 1.200 workers were mobilised to demand to increase the minimum wage. 

155 people got vocational skill training through GK, and they raised awareness regarding women driving.
200.000 workers were made aware of their social security rights and 30 got a basic training.
Almost 200.000 people were involved to improve their access to health because of GK, with 15.000 people getting direct medical attention.

Partners: NGWF, GK, OHS Initiative, BSPAN               Budget 2019: 100.000€
Donor: Own WSM funds                                                   Programme: 2017-2021

Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh extended

The global union federations IndustriALL and UNI announced here that the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh will be extended with a new agreement. To date, 13 brands and retailers have signed and 8 more committed to sign the new agreement, with many more likely to follow in the weeks ahead.

The Rana Plaza collapse in April 2013 claimed the lives of more than 1,100 workers, injuring 2,500 more. Six weeks later, unions, non-governmental organizations and brands announced the Úrst Bangladesh Accord. Currently, the Accord covers more than 2.5 million workers. The Accord is a groundbreaking building safety agreement based on binding commitments by apparel brands to ensure that hazards in their factories are identified and corrected. The Accord has overseen factory renovations – from installation of fire doors to strengthening of dangerously weak structural columns – that have improved safety for millions of garment workers. The current Accord expires in May 2018.

Open letter to all brands sourcing from Cambodia

Clean Clothes Campaign published an open letter to all brands in Cambodia to publicly support freedom of association and independent unions in Cambodia. We call upon the brands, representatives for H&M, Inditex, C&A, Levi Strauss, Marks & Spencer, Tchibo, Primark and other brands to widely disseminate a public support statement, for a Trade Union Law which fully complies with ILO Conventions 87 and 98 as a condition for future sourcing from the country.

H&M have already issued a statement supporting the demand, as well as Tchibo, hopefully other brands will soon follow.

If you're an individual, please share this post. If you're a member of an organisation, please check whether your organisation can also sign the letter. If so, contact the press contacts below.

Open letter to all brands sourcing from Cambodia:

Dear brands,

As you know the Cambodian government is currently drafting a new Trade Union Law aimed at regulating the Kingdom’s 3,400 trade unions. Concerns around the draft Law are growing as the current proposal is not in compliance with ILO conventions 87 (Freedom of association and protection of the right to organize) and 98 (Right to organize and collective bargaining), both ratified by Cambodia. Based on the recommended amendments of the Joint Committee formed to review the draft law, articles and provisions that infringe freedom of association and trade union autonomy are maintained in the final draft bill. A number of trade unions and human rights organisations have approached the Cambodian Government with their concerns and recommendations to the law.

H&M maakt beloftes niet waar

Vandaag, 16 april, organiseert H&M de “H&M Conscious exclusive night 2015”. Tijdens het exclusieve evenement wil H&M de ‘Conscious collectie’ tonen en ‘de toekomst van de duurzame mode vieren’. H&M promoot zichzelf graag als absolute voorloper op het vak van ecologisch en ethisch verantwoorde kledij. Op ethisch vlak blijft het echter vooral bij beloftes.

In 2013 publiceerde H&M zijn routekaart naar een leef­baar loon. De Zweedse kledingreus heeft zich geëngageerd om 850.000 kledingarbeiders een 'eer­lijk leefbaar loon' te betalen tegen 2018. Het pas gelanceerde duurzaamheidsrapport van H&M kan geen cijfers voorleggen die bewijzen dat de Zweedse gigant reële vooruitgang heeft geboekt op dat vlak. 

Benetton to join fund for Rana Plaza victims

The Times, The Guardian and Reuters reported this weekend a great news! Our petitioning and pressure worked! Benetton has released a statement agreeing to contribute to a compensation fund for victims of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh nearly two years after the disaster in which 1,100 people died.

In a statement on Friday, Benetton said it was working with "an independent and globally recognized third party" to work out a "fair and proportionate" compensation.

The move by the Italian fashion brand comes after more than 1 million people signed a petition on the campaigning site Avaaz in less than a fortnight calling on it to pay up. Dalia Hashad, Avaaz campaign director, said: “This is a victory for everyone around the world who wants to ensure our clothing never again costs lives. We’re hopeful Benetton will make a significant contribution so the families of Rana Plaza workers aren’t left high and dry.”

It said it would announce how much it would pay into the fund before April 24, which will mark the second anniversary of the Rana Plaza's collapse.

Avaaz Campaign Director Dalia Hashad

"We're hopeful Benetton will make a significant contribution so the families of Rana Plaza workers aren't left high and dry," Avaaz campaign director Dalia Hashad said.

The Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, chaired by the United Nations' International Labor Organisation (ILO), said on its website that it needed an overall $40 million to cover claims from victims and survivors.

The fund still needs $9 million to reach that amount.

"Honestly speaking I think a fair amount for Benetton would be the 9 million," Avaaz spokesman Daniel Boese told Reuters.

Noone should die for fashion: United Victims of Benetton

In just 90 seconds, an eight-story sweatshop in Bangladesh collapsed in Rana Plaza on 24th of April 2013. Over 1,100 people died. Some survivors sawed through their own limbs to escape. Out of the horror, the UN set up a ground-breaking compensation and corporate accountability scheme. Incredibly, it’s working - but survivors need our help to get one complicit company to pay up: Benetton.

Billion-dollar Italian clothing giant Benetton refuses to compensate the victims who made their clothes. It’s the only major global brand with undisputed links that hasn’t contributed. So far, they’re ignoring survivors and will get away with it unless it impacts their reputation. That’s where we come in.

Benetton is prepping for Milan fashion week. It’s Italian fashion’s most important event of the year -- and our opportunity to create a massive PR scandal. Click to demand Benetton pay up now and save this scheme. To date, 1,006,166 have signed. so we’ll embarrass them in a spectacular fashion week show they can’t ignore. Sign now.

Benetton, #payup to Rana Plaza survivors! This video shows Benetton's corporate vision, illustrated by the Clean Clothes Campaign. Help us win this campaign at: www.payup.cleanclothes.org

SweatShop Dead Cheap Fashion: Trois blogueurs de mode norvégiens ont vécu la vie d'ouvriers du textile au Cambodge

Frida, Ludvig et Anniken sont beaux, jeunes et norvégiens. Ils sont également blogueurs mode. Grands consommateurs de mode donc et enfants d'un pays riche, c'est dire s'ils en connaissent un rayon sur le prêt-à-porter. Pourtant... . Pendant un mois, ils ont été expatriés en Asie afin de vivre le quotidien de travailleurs de l'industrie textile. Le verdict est sans appel.

Leur expérience traumatisante est en fait l'objet d'un documentaire-réalité intitulé SweatShop Dead Cheap Fashion, diffusé sur la chaîne norvégienne Aftenposten en 2014.

Article dans le Vif ici.

Bel&Bo kondigt op Radio 2 - De Inspecteur aan dat ze zich bij Fair Wear Foundation aanlsuiten

Vandaag een interessante reportage op het consumentenprogramma ‘De Inspecteur’ met Sven Pichal op Radio 2, de best beluisterde radiozender in Vlaanderen betreffende Schone Kleren en de recente aankondiging van Bel&Bo om zich aan te sluiten bij de Fair Wear Foundation.

Je kan er hier vanaf min. 13 naar luisteren.

De kledingketen Bel&Bo maakte bij De Inspecteur bekend dat ze als eerste Belgische winkelketen hun kleding in Azië tegen eerlijk lonen en in goede arbeidsomstandigheden gaat vervaardigen. Dat doen ze door nu lid te worden van de Fair Wear Foundation, dat is een gerespecteerde internationale organisatie die kledingbedrijven bijstaat om op een duurzame manier te werk te gaan.

Bel&Bo is al een paar jaar bezig om de omslag naar eerlijke productie voor te bereiden. De fabrieken in onder meer India en Pakistan die voor hun werken worden een aantal keer per jaar bezocht. De komende jaren wil het bedrijf samen met de Fair Wear Foundation ook niet-rechtstreeks leveranciers aanzetten om eerlijker te produceren.

FAIR WEAR FOUNDATION
Volgens Sara Ceustermans van de Schone Kleren-campagne is de samenwerking met de Fair Wear Foundation heel belangrijk. De organisatie is een betrouwbare partner als het aankomt op eerlijke productie. Elk bedrijf dat lid wil worden van de Fair Wear Foundation moet kunnen aantonen dat ze samenwerken met eerlijke leveranciers, dat de arbeiders een eerlijk loon krijgen en dat de fabrieken veilig zijn.

Volgens Sara zijn eerlijke kleren ook niet per se duurder. De productieprijs ligt door de eerlijkere lonen en strenge voorwaarden wat hoger dan bij andere ketens maar de productie in de fabriek is maar een kleine factor. Transport en personeelskosten in de winkel bijvoorbeeld hebben een veel grotere impact. De hogere productiekost heeft dus geen invloed op de prijs van de kleren in de winkel.

Sara merkt wel op dat het heel moeilijk is om in de winkel eerlijke kleren te herkennen. Je kan als klant enkel afgaan op de prijs en die zegt natuurlijk niets over eerlijke productie.

Een ander artikel hierover hier.

8€/mois pour produire des t-shirts: GMB Akash photographie le travail des enfants…

On estime que 168 millions d’enfants travaillent actuellement dans le monde (source). Même si c’est moitié moins qu’en 2000, c’est encore beaucoup trop. Certains d’entre eux réalisent des travaux particulièrement dangereux sans la moindre protection légale. Un photographe du Bangladesh vient de se pencher sur cette réalité qui frappe son pays.

« Pour abolir le travail des enfants, vous devez le rendre visible. », c’est l’adage de GMB Akash, un photographe bangladais concerné par les injustices subies par les enfants de son pays.

Abolir ne suffit pourtant pas toujours. Au Bangladesh, le travail des enfants est interdit depuis 1992. Mais sur le terrain, la réalité est tout autre. Akash va voir lors d’un reportage un enfant de 12 ans se faire battre car il était trop lent à la confection d’un t-shirt… Il s’est alors donné pour mission d’investiguer en profondeur sur cette problématique. Il va ainsi découvrir, sur base des données de l’UNICEF que 7.4 millions d’enfants travaillent au Bangladesh. Beaucoup d’entre eux risquent leur vie chaque jour. Ils gagnent entre 6 et 10$ par mois.

Voici une petite sélection de ses clichés:

How pay raise killed workers: The story of a North Face manufacturer in Bangladesh

A news brief from Bangladesh reached Seoul last January. A female worker was shot dead by police in a factory owned by Youngone, the Korean sportswear manufacturer known as the biggest supplier of The Northface and the biggest foreign investor in Bangladesh. Youngone issued a short press release in Seoul through a PR firm:
“There was a misunderstanding among some of the workers in the process of applying the new minimum wage scale, which led to unrest. Police opened fire, killing 1 worker and injuring 10 others. Meanwhile thugs from neighboring village broke into the factory, destroying facilities and stealing 2000-3000 pairs of shoes which were waiting to be exported. The management will repair the damage and clean the factory on Jan 11, and is endeavoring to resume operation on Jan 12. We feel sorry about this unfortunate incident, and ask for your understanding and cooperation.”

A similar incident happened three years earlier, and Youngone gave a similar explanation. Does it make sense that Bangladesh workers repeatedly lose their lives due to mere ‘misunderstanding’?

ASK BENETTON TO PAY UP

For decades multinational companies have turned their back on those killed and injured in their supply chains. This must and can change. By speaking out and taking action together we can prove that companies can and should be held to account for the impact their behaviour has throughout the supply chain. It’s up to us – each and every one of us - to take action to ensure that the survivors and the victims’ families are not left wanting in the face of Benetton’s empty promises.

ASK @BENETTON TO #PAYUP: Benetton is the LAST major international brand with a direct link to #Ranaplaza to REFUSE to compensate victims. UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON promised to “make funds available to the families of the victims of #RanaPlaza as every member of our industry has a moral obligation to intervene in their support.” So, then why is Benetton continuing to refuse to give even a penny to the compensation fund?

Join the Clean Clothes Campaign and take three simple actions to hold Benetton accountable for their promises: sign the petition, and share it by tweet (#PayUpBenetton) or Facebook!

Amin from NGWF talks about garment workers in Bangladesh and the Accord

A Medical Camp for Rana Plaza victims

WSM's partners in Bangladesh, NGWF and GK, work together to provide medical care for the victims of the Rana Plaza tragedy. This interview was shot during the Rana Plaza Medical Camp on the 12th of November 2014 at BILS hospital.

In this video, Mr Reza, special consultant for GK for medical help to Rana Plaza victims, explained they had received 78 patients that morning, who were attended by five doctors (psychological help, gynecology, medication, physiotherapy). Since the Rana Plaza catastrophe, they have organized 16 camps like these, some with general care, others with specialized services. The main problems now would be psychological support, as many of the victims were traumatized and physiotherapy for loss of limbs. Another problem is the need for certain victims to receive surgery to remove stale implants, but for which there are often no funds or support to be performed.

Wij willen schone kleren: actievoeren werkt!

Met de campagne "Wij willen schone kleren" zette Wereldsolidariteit Belgische kledingbedrijven onder druk om concrete stappen te zetten naar "schone kleren": kleren die in menswaardige arbeidsomstandigheden gemaakt worden. En met resultaat! Want zowel JBC als Bel&Bo besloten zich aan te sluiten bij de Fair Wear Foundation, dé cruciale eis van onze campagne.



Meer info hier.

Meet two garment workers in Bangladesh

Nassim, a 25 year old male garment worker earned 6400BDT or 66€ per month. He started working as a helper at 19 years.

He got involved with WSM's partner, the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) after a visit of their organizer to his factory. They formed a committee with twelve of his colleagues, and raised several issues to the management:

- Irregular payment of salaries, which were sometimes months later
- Required to work up to 20 hours unpaid overtime
- No maternity leave

They founded a union in March 2014 and all 500 workers of the factory became members. In July 2014, Nassim was fired by phone. It turned out management had fired eight of the twelve members of the committee. They turned to NGWF for help, who first wrote a grievance letter and is now pursuing the case in Labour Court. Meanwhile, Nassim remains jobless.

 Moshumi, 22 years old, started working was she was ten years old, as a helper. Currently an operator (meaning she uses the sewing machines), she makes 6.600BDT (68€) per month, which is just below the minimum wage 6,805BDT). She works for a sweater factory that employs 5.000 workers in a six story building. In 2006 a manager misbehaved with her and she had to leave. She met with a union organizer of NGWF in 2006 and shared her experience. They wrote a grievance letter to the factory which, after some negotiating, reinstated her even provided her with the Ramadan bonus. However, she feels that because she turned to NGWF and has since followed training on labour rights, which she then shares with her colleagues, she has been branded a trouble maker by the management and is overburdened with workload, receiving no money for the overtime she has to do.

Rana Plaza: 18 months after the tragedy

Aujourd'hui, nous sommes jour pour jour 18 mois après le drame du Rana Plaza. L’Accord sur la sécurité des bâtiments entre dans sa phase cruciale : la mise en conformité des usines. 1106 usines ont été inspectées (les rapports peuvent être consultés ici). C’est maintenant que les enseignes signataires vont devoir assumer, notamment financièrement, leur engagement de soutenir leurs fournisseurs dans ce travail de renovation, afin de garantir la sécurité des travailleurs.

Nous vous invitons à regarder l'interview d'Amin Amirul Haque, de notre partenaire NGWF au Bangladesh.


Question indemnisation par contre, les survivants et les familles des victimes ne sont toujours pas certaines d’être indemnisées complètement. La plupart sont en incapacité de retrouver du travail et de reconstruire une vie normale. Il manque toujours 20 millions $ (16 millions €) au fonds d’indemnisation. Un montant dérisoire comparé aux bénéfices tirés par les enseignes grâce aux travailleuses du Bangladesh. Il est impératif que Carrefour, Benetton et les autres contribuent.
Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur le site d'AchACT Asbl ou de l'Accord.

ILO calls for further improvements in Bangladesh textile factories

At an ILO-EU stocktaking meeting in Brussels, ILO Deputy Director-General Sandra Polaski said that the Government of Bangladesh has made important progress to ensure labour rights and factory safety in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh since 2013, but  emphasized that a lot of work still remains to be done, urgently in some areas. 
The meeting reviewed the actions outlined in the Sustainability Compact, an agreement signed by the ILO, the European Commission, the Governments of Bangladesh and the US in July 2013, and identified areas still in need of improvement, some of them requiring urgent interventions.

Among the positive developments it is worth noting the amendments made to the Bangladesh Labour Act, the registration of new trade unions and the implementation of safety inspections. The fact that public inspection services have been given more resources and that a national occupational safety and health policy was adopted, are important steps forward.

Nevertheless, Polaski underscored that important improvements are still required. The Bangladesh Labour Act must be effectively enforced and implemented, the establishment and registration of trade unions must be made easier and the right to strike should be protected. Further, the government should bring the Bangladesh Labour Act and the legislation covering the Export Processing Zones into compliance with international labour standards. The survivors of the Rana Plaza building collapse should receive skills training and rehabilitation. (link to original article here)

Call to Action: $177 Minium Wage Cambodia - Campaign

After the violent crackdown on workers in which 5 workers were killed, 40 workers were
seriously injured and 25 workers were arrested during the campaign to increase the minimum wage, workers and their unions have strongly advocated by cooperating with relevant stakeholders around the world in order to push the Government and buyers to give the proper minimum wage increase and the freedoms and compensation to workers. The campaign has been ongoing since early January 2014 but has not yet achieved the proper resolution. On 30th May, 2014, the arrested were released but the court hasn’t dropped the charges against them (convicted with suspended sentences) and many other problems have not yet been addressed. Meanwhile, the minimum wage issue is still the main topic of demonstrations.
We work hard every day to create huge profits for our employers and yet still do not have
enough to feed our families and meet our basic needs. The government and employers said that in October they will officially announce the amount of the minimum wage increase to be implemented in January 2015. We have been waiting a long time for a minimum wage increase and justice for our colleagues who lost their lives.
We therefore call for solidarity from workers, unionists, concerned citizens, and civil organizations around the world to join us in an escalated national and international campaign to push the buyers to do a real intervention to end worker exploitation during the negotiation period from now until October, 2014 and in the future. The buyers must negotiate with unions, mandate an increased wage of $177, reflect this increase in their prices, and make a long-term commitment to sourcing from Cambodia in factories where labour rights are
respected. Please join us for a national and international day of action on 17th Sept, 2014 to demand justice from some of the influential buyers and suppliers in Cambodia, especially: H&M, Gap, Adidas, Inditex, Levis, C&A, WalMart and Puma.
We need $177! Decent Work, Decent Wage!

Phnom Penh, 27th August, 2014
NTUC - WFUF - CUMW - CFSWF - NIFTUC - CCFC - CYN - C.CAWDU - TUFW - IDYTU - CATU