Fashion brands watch workers starve
04/08/2008
He described the situation in Bangladesh as “obscene”, as many factory owners are living in luxurious homes and driving expensive cars while workers who bring in the money are living in real poverty, with many receiving less than the minimum wage of $25 per month. “Workers are skipping their own meals so that their children can eat,” Mr Kearney said.
“Inflation in Bangladesh has rocketed with some items of food doubling in the last six months. Recent reports indicate that basic wage workers in Bangladesh are now spending 70% of their wages on rice alone. Even wealthy middle managers told me they are finding it difficult to survive.”
And workers have no help from trade unions, as Mr Kearney explains. “A total ban on trade union activity for the past eighteen months has rendered Bangladesh's workers voiceless and is driving the country further into poverty,” he said.
“Workers must get back their right to form and join trade unions of their choice and to bargain on wages and working conditions with their employers.
“A monthly wage of at least $70 (Taka4,500) is urgently needed to lift Bangladesh's 2.5 million garment workers out of absolute poverty.
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