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[Press Release] Bangladesh Government Linked to Blacklist
Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights
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July 26, 2012
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Thursday, July 26, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CONTACT:
Barbara Briggs office: 412-562-2406; cell:
412-417-9384
Bangladesh Government Linked to Illegal Blacklisting of Apparel Workers
Suppliers to Major U.S. Brands–
Wal-Mart, Hanes, GAP, J.C. Penney, Nike, Levi’s and Tommy Hilfiger–
Implicated
Bangladesh’s Government operates a blacklist targeting and firing
garment workers seeking their legal rights, according to new information
obtained by the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights.
Institute director Charles Kernaghan stated today, “The Bangladesh
Government is in direct violation of many of the International Labour
Organization’s core worker rights conventions, which the country ratified
in June 1973, including Freedom of Association and Protection of the
Right to Organize (ILO Convention 87), and the Right to Organize and
Collective Bargaining (ILO Convention 98).”
In what according to the Institute is an unprecedented step, one of
the world’s largest knitwear manufacturers, the South Ocean Group,
headquartered in China and a major producer in Bangladesh’s Export
Processing Zones, has confirmed repeatedly that the government-run Bangladesh
Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) is actively involved in the
illegal blacklisting of workers seeking their rights.
This is the first concrete evidence that the Government of Bangladesh
is operating a widespread scheme to terminate and blacklist workers
asking for their legal rights under Bangladesh’s labor laws and the
ILO’s core, internationally recognized worker rights standards.
The government’s illegal blacklisting scheme, covering hundreds of
thousands of workers in the Export Processing Zones, has spilled over,
giving the green light to the thousands of privately-owned garment
factories (supplying clothing exports to the U.S., Europe and Australia)
to deny the legal rights of more than 3.5 million garment workers.
The United States Trade Representative’s Office should launch an
immediate fact-finding mission to Bangladesh to guarantee the legal
rights of workers.
In an email circulated to over a dozen international companies,
government and NGO representatives, South Ocean executives issued the
following statement in May 2012:
“By this email, I would like to update you on a few further developments since our last communication to you on May 21.
“BEPZA’s Blacklist
“We have informed you that the factory management on May 10 and May 13 had made requests
to BEPZA (at its Ishwardi office and its headquarters at Dhaka) to
withdraw from its blacklist the workers dismissed after the
January/February unrest. Both requests were turned down due to BEPZA’s
own policies and concerns.
“On May 22, a representative of
South Ocean from Hong Kong visited the Dhaka headquarters of BEPZA and
met with the Chairman, Deputy General Manager and three other BEPZA
officers to make a third and final appeal to the authority for the
withdrawal of workers from the blacklist. Again, our request was flatly
turned down by BEPZA who stated that such withdrawal would set a bad
precedent for the other EPZs, and that there was no law or regulation
allowing such withdrawal.”
On June 19, 2012, the Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Kalerkantha
in an article titled “Fired Workers Threaten to Commit Suicide” quoted
the government-appointed Mr. Mahnud Hasan, general manager of the
Ishwardi Export Processing Zone:
“Mr. Mahnud Hasan, General Manager of Ishwardi EPZ [Export Processing
Zone], said that the 291 workers who are fired and blacklisted have no
right to speak about the EPZ. Not only the Ishwardi EPZ but none of the EPZs in Bangladesh will hire the fired and black-listed workers…” (Translated from Bengali)
The 291 workers fired and blacklisted at the Ishwardi Export
Processing Zone were seeking their legal rights under Bangladeshi and
international law when they were fired. According to Kernaghan,
“Illegal firings and blacklisting are the norm at government-run
export processing zones across Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands
of garment workers are stripped of their legal rights. We are now
calling upon all the major U.S., Canadian, European and Australian
labels producing in Bangladesh, including Wal-Mart, Hanesbrands,
Carrefour and Tesco, to immediately go on record urging the Bangladesh
Government to end the illegal practice of blacklisting workers seeking
their legal rights.”
Bangladesh is at a Turning Point
With 3.5 million jobs at stake
United States Ambassador to Bangladesh calls for Respect for Worker Rights:
“U.S. companies want to buy
products from Bangladesh, but they are very concerned about labour
issues, safety at [the] workplace and freedom of association in
Bangladesh,” stated U.S. Ambassador Mr. Dan Mozena.
Speaking for the United States, Ambassador Mozena also decried the
torture and assassination of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Rights
labor leader, Mr. Aminul Islam in early April.
– The Daily Star, July 11, 2012
“RMG Labour Unrest/Mozena Mirrors Buyers Concern“
Again on July 25, 2012, the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, Mr. Dan Mozena stated:
“Employers [in Bangladesh] need to devote greater attention to Freedom of Association.”
– Financial Express, July 25, 2012
On May 5, 2012, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, “discussed the recent killing of Mr. Islam, the labor organizer” at the Prime Minister’s office in Dhaka.
– Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Remarks, U.S. State Department
May 2012
There are 3.5 million garment workers in Bangladesh, over 80 percent
of whom are young women, working long hours in 4,500 garment export
factories. Bangladesh’s garment workers are among the hardest
workers in the world, but they are also among the poorest. Over
the course of the last six years, base wages have risen just nine cents
an hour, from 12 cents an hour in 2006 to 21 cents in November 2010 with
no wage increase since. However, a soaring 29 percent inflation
rate over the last three years has lowered the effective base wage to
2010 equivalent of only 16.3 cents an hour.
Bangladesh is the third largest garment exporter to the United
States, following just China and Vietnam. Bangladesh exports even
more garments to Europe.
The American people have a powerful voice, if we choose to use it. In 2011, Bangladesh exported over $4.5 billion worth
of garments to the U.S. To show how much money this is, there are
313 million people in the U.S. This means that every single man,
woman and child in the U.S. is spending an average of $14.41 buying
garments made in Bangladesh. We have the power to demand that
Bangladesh’s local labor laws are respected and enforced, along with the
ILO’s internationally recognized worker rights standards, including the
right to decent working conditions, the right to organize an
independent union and to bargain collectively.
Among the major U.S. buyers in Bangladesh are Wal-Mart, Hanesbrands,
GAP, J.C. Penney, Nike, Levis and Tommy Hilfiger. European labels
made in Bangladesh include Carrefour, Tesco, H&M, Marks &
Spencer and Metro Group.
Some of the U.S. Labels Produced in Bangladesh’s Export Processing Zones:
Wal-Mart, Nike, Hanesbrands, Tommy Hilfiger, Reebok, GAP, J.C.
Penney, Kmart, Wrangler, Lee, Levi’s Dockers, NBA, Eddie Bauer, Falcon,
American Eagle…
Some of the European and Australian Labels Produced in Bangladesh’s Export Processing Zones:
BHS/British Home Stores/Arcadia Group (United Kingdom), Peek &
Cloppenburg/Van Graf (Germany),Coles/Wesfarmers (Australia),
Dressmann/Varner Group (Norway), Celio (France), de Bijenkorf (The
Netherlands), Fynch-Hatton (Germany), H&M (Sweden), Mother Care
(United Kingdom), adidas (Germany), Emmilee/Free Spirit (United
Kingdom), Miles (Germany); Hi-Tech, Maurice Phillips (United Kingdom)
Attachments
1 Names of blacklisted workers posted at the government-run Uttara Export Processing Zone
2 Syed Ashfaqul Haque. Daily Star. “Top RMG buyers worried at unrest.” July 19, 2012.
Download all attachments
– The Daily Star, Thursday, July 26, 2012, “Violence in RMG Sector”
Institute: “Chinese Sweatshop in Bangladesh,” March 8, 2012
“Bangladeshi Workers Fight Back,” May 3, 2012
The Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights (formerly
National Labor Committee) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) human rights
organization dedicated to the promotion and defense of internationally
recognized worker rights in the global economy. Founded in 1981,
the Institute’s research, in-depth reports, high profile public
campaigns and widespread media coverage have been instrumental in
creating the anti-sweatshop movement in the United States and
internationally. The Institute is headquartered in Pittsburgh with
regional offices in Dhaka and San Salvador and research/advocacy
partnerships in China, Jordan, Central America and South Asia.
####
Attachment 1
2010 Photo: Names of blacklisted workers posted at the government-run Uttara Export Processing Zone
Download the original file
Attachment 2
Daily Star: Front Page
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Syed Ashfaqul Haque
Top RMG buyers worried at unrest
Share views in a rare meeting in Dhaka, finalise a letter to PM for solution
The world’s top buyers of Bangladeshi garment products yesterday
gathered in Dhaka to share their concerns over persistent labour unrest
in the industry and to finalise an SOS message to Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina.
Buyers from about 19 leading brands, including Walmart and Gap,
appear deeply troubled at the conditions of the garment and textile
sectors and the prospects of their business in Bangladesh.
“Industry disruptions and worker grievances are now impacting our
ability to direct businesses to Bangladesh.” It was the unanimous view
of the representatives, who attended the unprecedented meeting at
Walmart’s Gulshan office in Dhaka in the morning.
Never before have readymade garment buyers been so united in making
their concerns known in the hope that they will be addressed by the
Bangladesh government. They were compelled to take the initiative as
labour unrest has recently gone from bad to worse and the world economy
continues to dip.
The brand leaders decided to take a united step soon after the latest
spat of violence in Ashulia last month, two and a half months after the
forced disappearance of labour leader Aminul Islam, said a source close
to the buyers.
The discussion lasted over two hours, a great deal of which was spent
on workers’ wages, an issue the buyers identified as the main reason
behind the unrest, a meeting source told The Daily Star, wishing not to
be named.
The buyers also finalised a letter to be sent to the PM, the draft of which The Daily Star has managed to obtain.
The letter, a copy of which will be given to the embassies of all
countries represented by the buyers, is due to be sent to the prime
minister by the middle of next month. Prior to that, the buyers plan to
hold a series of meetings with the labour and commerce ministries as
well as with two garment exporters associations.
Concerns as well as suggestions for an inflation adjustment to the
wages were tabled in yesterday’s rare meeting, in the hope that the
highest office will act promptly to tackle the crisis methodically.
“As significant buyers of apparels and textile products from
Bangladesh, our companies have been observing with great concern the
current garment factory worker unrest,” began the letter to the PM.
“Unrest among the workers in this sector is seen as risk among our
companies and could cause damage to the reputation of Bangladesh as a
reliable sourcing market.”
Signatories of the letter also include H&M, Carrefour, Tesco, JC Penney, Nike, MARKS & SPENCER, mothercare and Levi’s.
The brand companies, which are known to be socially responsible, were
very critical of violent protests, acknowledging at the same time
workers’ frustrations, heightened by inflation.
Government statistics show that overall inflation stood at 8.56
percent last month. Food inflation in June came down to 7.08 percent
from 7.46 percent a month ago. It was 13.75 percent in last September.
Non-food inflation hit a record 13.96 percent in March, but stood at
11.72 percent last month.
Against this backdrop, the garment buyers urged the government to
conduct at least one annual review of minimum wages in line with the
inflation and consumer price index.
“Once this functional review system is created and enforced, these
revisions will help address the basic needs of the workers,” the buyers
hope.
The minimum wage of garment workers was first set in 2006 and revised
again in November 2010 when the monthly pay of an entry-level worker
was increased from Tk 1,662 to Tk 3,000.
The buyers pledge of long term business commitments in Bangladesh
provided that the industry was in compliance with local and
international labour and environmental laws.
Sources confided that American buyers are particularly concerned about the disappearance of Aminul.
The forty-year-old trade union leader disappeared on April 4 from
Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital. Aminul’s body was found the
next day by the Tangail-Mymensingh highway.
The US has been pressing the government for quite some time to probe
the matter and bring the culprits to book. Dan Mozena, the US envoy in
Bangladesh, has gone on record to hint several times that any failure in
this regard may drive American buyers away from Bangladesh.
The government is yet to wake up to the risk that looms large.
Garment factory owners are not as oblivious to the realities as the
government, however. “Just read between the lines of Mozena’s comments
and the buyers’ letter [read out to him], and you will get to see the
veiled threat,” said Rezaul Ahsan, a top sweater exporter in Gazipur.
Buyers are united and backed by their countries, but the young
entrepreneur takes it optimistically: “We must respond positively to the
buyers’ initiative. A socially compliant garment industry can only
bring in more forex.”
Attachment 3
Undertaking Letter
At the Bangladeshi government-run Ishwardi Export Processing Zone,
officials forced workers to sign a statement – under threat of
termination, that, “If I have any demands, complaints or grievances, I will talk to or write management and resolve issues peacefully.”
What the Bangladeshi government is doing is illegal. Workers have
every right to consult with labor, religious and human rights
advocates. Under no circumstances can workers be obligated to give
up their right to seek counsel or freedom of speech as a condition of
employment.
With regards to the MOU referenced below: When workers were charged
and then released the BEPZA (not the factories) had them sign the
attached document, of which the translation is as follows,
