DHAKA: Five global high street fashion brands have pulled out of a major garment industry event in Bangladesh due to concerns over a crackdown on unions demanding better pay in textile factories, campaigners noted.
The retailers; H&M, Inditex, C&A, Next and Tchibo, who all source clothes from Bangladeshi factories, were expected to attend the Dhaka Apparel Summit which is due to be attended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Feb 25.
The Clean Clothes Campaign said the brands’ “unprecedented” decision to pull out of the event was a “major embarrassment” for the government and Bangladeshi Garment Manufacturers Export Association (BGMEA).
“It underscores growing international concern over the deterioration of labor rights in the Bangladesh garment industry,” the Netherlands-based group said in a statement.
C&A confirmed it had withdrawn from the summit amid concerns over the detention of trade unionists and advocates of workers’ rights following protests for better pay in December which, activists say, led to the dismissal of hundreds of workers.
“C&A condemns any form of violence and injustice in connection with the labor protests,” it said in a statement.
“We strongly encourage the Government of Bangladesh to take immediate steps to ensure the protection of the workers’ rights, with special attention to the legitimate representatives of the workers who have been arrested.”
Bangladeshi government and apparel industry officials dismissed allegations that the labor rights of garment workers had deteriorated since workers protested in Dhaka’s Ashulia industrial area in December demanding higher pay.
Officials said the decision by the five western retailers not to attend the summit was unfortunate.
Campaigners have criticized many retailers for failing to improve working conditions in their supply chains with long hours, low pay, poor safety standards and not being allowed to form trade unions common complaints from garment workers.
