Dive Brief:
- Fashion industry and labor interest groups are once again calling for improved working conditions for garment and footwear workers in Bangladesh with the aim of creating a “sustainable partnership” with the country now and in the coming years, according to a press release Friday.
- The American Apparel and Footwear Association, an organization with more than 1,000 fashion industry members, joined the Fair Labor Association at a joint brand delegation in Dhaka last week to urge the Bangladesh government and the country’s manufacturing industry to improve worker rights.
- The delegation included representatives from AAFA, FLA, Columbia Sportswear Company, KMD Brands and VF Corporation, among others, according to the release.
Dive Insight:
Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of readymade garments in the world, and the industry contributes more than 11% to the country’s overall GDP, according to data from Asia Floor Wage Alliance. Workers in the sector are advocating for a livable wage and better conditions and calling on the fashion industry to raise awareness.
“We are united around shared goals for a more competitive, socially responsible, and sustainable industry in Bangladesh,” Nate Herman, senior vice president of policy for AAFA, said in the release.
The recent delegation follows a similar one in November 2024, in which AAFA and other member companies met with Bangladesh leadership to advocate for independent trade unions for workers and companies in the country.
“The ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh has a unique opportunity to address the long-standing issues that impact [workers’] livelihoods, such as the wage-setting process and reforms to the labor law,” Shelly Han, executive vice president of FLA, said in the release.
Also last year, AAFA and FLA wrote a joint letter to Mohammad Yunus, chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, urging him to take further action on workers’ rights.
That letter called for releasing those who remain under arrest following the 2023 protests over minimum wage as well as removing the criminal charges for these individuals. It also asked for a regular annual minimum wage review for the garment, footwear and travel goods industries with all stakeholders, including employers, government and workers.
It further called for the government to restart discussions on the Bangladesh Labor Act to bring the law in line with international labor standards, per the letter. Reforms would include creating independent trade unions and reducing the registration threshold for them.
