Victory! 48,000 Bangladeshi workers freed from the threat of imprisonment!
The announcement of the interim government on their decision to drop outstanding, arbitrary mass criminal cases involving over 48,000 workers came after a 2-year fight for justice. “This is a massive victory for workers in Bangladesh, for trade unions anywhere in the world and for international solidarity”, according to Kalpona Akter, a trade union leader from Bangladesh. “It shows the strength of workers, of organising and of international solidarity work.”
The cases were filed in an attempt to freeze the protests emerging from the announcement of a new minimum wage for the sector. The flawed wage-setting process resulted in an outcome far below the trade union demands of 23,000 Taka and sparked protests across the country, which were met with unprecedented violence and repression. 4 workers lost their lives, dozens got severely injured, and over 130 people were arrested.
Filing - largely unfounded - mass criminal cases was a common repression method in the playbook of the Hasina regime - a similar scenario had already unfolded in 2016 and 2018. Factory owners would file a single criminal complaint implicating thousands of workers without having to provide any proof or details. In practice, this tactic sees workers criminalised en masse. Worker intimidation has a chilling effect on any form of organising in the sector. Despite warnings of history repeating itself by trade unions and NGOs, international brands did absolutely nothing to support workers’ demands and protect workers against this severe repression.
Clean Clothes Campaign, Worker Rights Consortium and Solidarity Center identified over 40 brands linked to suppliers filing bogus mass criminal cases, with baseless charges ranging from vandalism to assault or even murder. After consistent brand outreach and pressure created by an international public campaign, internal pressure from retail worker unions, and street actions in major cities mobilising over a hundred people, 10 cases were dropped, freeing over 10,000 workers. The campaign generated interest in outlets such as The Guardian, Al Jazeera, DW and Le Monde, and reached millions online. As activists held a large Wages Not Warrants demonstration outside flagship stores in London, a short documentary featuring interviews with labour experts, garment workers and union leaders gained significant traction on social media platforms, attracting nearly a million views and mobilising over 3,500 supporters to email Zara and H&M, brands with the most links to the crackdown, to urge them to pressure suppliers to take action.
Following the overthrow of the Hasina regime, Bangladesh trade unions in the CCC network were able to assert pressure on the interim government to restore trade union freedoms in the sector, which led to the eventual decision to issue an executive order to drop all remaining cases.
“The tremendous effort of workers, trade unionists, advocates and activists reaps its fruit today” said Anne Bienias of Clean Clothes Campaign, “After almost two years of fighting, 48,000 workers and families can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they won’t be facing prosecution for exercising their legal right to protest”.
Trade unions and partners in the CCC Network are continuing their collaboration with the interim government. A much-needed labour law reform is currently underway, including provisions on the right to organise and the right to strike, as well as several provisions on an improved wage-setting machinery. Through the enforcement of these reforms, and the implementation of fair pricing and responsible purchasing practices by international brands, we can break the endless cycle of poverty wages, followed by repression and worker unrest and look towards a brighter turn for the fashion industry in Bangladesh.