Bangladesh’s garment industry accounts for nearly 83% of the country’s export earnings and contributes more than 10% of the country’s GDP. It employs around four million workers – mostly women – across more than 4500 factories.

However, these workers do not share the same rights and protections as their Western counterparts. Rather, they are among the lowest paid workers in the world. They often earn less than the minimum wage set by the Bangladeshi government, which for garment workers is approximately $75 per month. Even if they were to earn this, it would be insufficient for their needs; The Guardian writes that a living wage would be around $188 per month. 

HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOUR RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Pay cheques are not the only site of their exploitation. The call to enforce labour laws and end mistreatment of unions in Bangladesh was loudly heard in 2015, two years after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Dhaka, when Human Rights Watch published Whoever Raises Their Head, Suffers the Most’: Workers’ Rights in Bangladesh’s Garment Factories. This report was based on interviews with more than 160 workers from 44 factories. It explained how the country’s labour laws were still leaving workers without adequate protection. 

The right of workers to form unions to address abuses, threats, intimidation and physical assault by factory management is especially weak. Although the Rana Plaza disaster pushed the government to reform some labour laws, such as making the registration process of unions easier, union leaders continue to be targeted by factory management. Bangladesh ratified International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining but, to date, its labour laws do not fully comply with these standards. 

There is an onus on the Bangladeshi government to ensure effective and impartial investigations into workplace exploitation, and to prosecute those who do not respect worker’s labour and human rights. However, companies buying from Bangladesh’s factories should also take action to ensure effective inspections are conducted on their behalf or with their support.

Companies have responsibilities to prevent such violations in their supply chains and to ensure the respect of their codes of conduct, and should take steps to mitigate risks, in compliance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE BANGLADESHI GARMENT INDUSTRY 

Bangladesh’s garment industry is heavily reliant on European and American orders. With shops shut across Europe and the US, global retail brands have cancelled orders worth more than $3bn. As BCC reports, Human Rights Watch has condemned the attitude of some Western brands for taking these measures without bearing any financial or moral responsibility, even though workers had finished making many of the products.

When orders were cancelled, 72% of buyers refused to pay for raw materials already purchased by the supplier and 91% refused to pay for production cost. As a result, more than two million garment workers might lose their jobs and become impoverished. The ILO has set up a working group bringing together retailers, factory owners and workers to try and find a solution to the current crisis. 

The reopening of workplaces, however, is not the solution in a country where several factories do not respect the hygiene standards and physical distancing. According to the Clean Clothes Campaign, and as reported by the Bangladesh Garment Shramik Sanghati (BGSS), 97 garment workers have tested positive for coronavirus since the April 9 2020.

Of these workers, 52% have been infected since the reopening of factories on the April 26 2020. Worryingly, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association reports that the number of infections and deaths is much higher, as countless workers have not been tested and many will hide their condition to avert social humiliation.

Giulia holds an Italian Law MA and has gained experience in promoting Human Rights through volunteering with The European Law Student Association (ELSA). She has been involved in counselling related to residency permits, educational activities for marginalised young people, and in anti-discrimination issues. Her passion is Migration Law, International Law and Human Rights Law, with particular attention to Children and Women's Rights. She currently works as a Lead in a FinTech company in Estonia and holds an unconditional offer for the GDL, starting in September 2020.

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