Staff Reporter :
Amnesty International recently stated on ‘International Workers’ Day about the ongoing struggles faced by garment workers in Bangladesh.
They highlighted how workers in the country are still experiencing fear and repression, while companies are getting away with human rights abuses without consequences.
They pointed out the tragic incidents at Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashions Factory, where many workers lost their lives due to unsafe working conditions.
These disasters, according to Amnesty, happened because of negligent monitoring of workplaces, revealing a lack of regulation and safety standards.
Despite efforts by organisations like the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) to seek compensation for the victims of these disasters, the cases have remained unresolved for over a decade.
Nadia Rahman from Amnesty International emphasised the need for accountability for these incidents, stating, “Workers’ rights to fair compensation and safe working conditions are still not being met.”
She called attention to the flaws in labour laws and the lack of compliance, stating that true compensation for occupational injuries remains elusive.
Amnesty International is advocating for significant changes to address these issues and ensure the safety and well-being of garment workers in Bangladesh.
“In addition to the lack of justice, most workers today are still fighting for decent wages in an industry that brings the most revenue to Bangladesh and paying a heavy price for fighting for their rights,” she said.
According to Amnesty International, garment workers in Bangladesh are facing dire conditions, including being paid poverty wages and encountering numerous obstacles such as harassment, intimidation, and violence when they try to speak up for their rights.
Since the protests in 2023, there have been at least 35 criminal cases filed against garment workers, with reports estimating that tens of thousands of workers have been accused of participating in protests.
Amnesty noted that a significant portion of these cases were filed by factories supplying major global fashion brands and retailers.
Taufiq, a labour NGO worker in Bangladesh, lamented to Amnesty International, “When workers raise their voices, they are ignored; when they try to organise, they are threatened and sacked; and finally, when workers protest, they are beaten, shot at, and arrested.”
Sokina, a survivor of the Tazreen Fashions fire in 2012, shared her distress with Amnesty International, stating, “It has been over eleven years, and we have still not received our rightful compensation. The owner of the factory is roaming scot-free and running new businesses by establishing strong ties with the ruling party while we are living a life of destitution.”
Despite some global reforms initiated after the Rana Plaza tragedy, such as the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry, occupational safety remains lacking for many workers across various sectors in Bangladesh.
The snail-paced progress during the last eleven years in the Rana Plaza and Tazreen compensation cases, together with widespread preventable occupational deaths and injuries, underscores the wider culture of corporate impunity in Bangladesh.
“We call on the government to remove the limits on compensation for occupational injuries under labour law, ensure those affected receive adequate compensation, and introduce a national data repository on workplace deaths and injuries to ensure transparency and fill the current gaps in official data,” said Nadia Rahman.
Bangladesh must also ratify and then comply with the two key International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 155 and 187 on occupational health and safety, along with ILO Conventions 102 and 121 on minimum standards of relief for victims of occupational injuries and deaths.
“We also urge the Government of Bangladesh to immediately end the repression of worker rights and ensure that they can exercise their right to freedom of expression and association, including by being able to form and join trade unions at the factory level, without fear of reprisals,” she said.