What should we do about clothing workers in Bangladesh earning 40p per day as clothes makers?

Answer 1

what is with this (WE)YOU don't like the pay they get YOU can give them more (i don't give a bugger)

Answer 2

Sad as it is, the money they get will be the only money for the food they have to have, they, unfortunately, do not have the Social services that we enjoy, it is up to their own governments to put a stop to this, they are supposed to be of a modern world but in terms of workers and labour they are light years away , get Arthur Scargill and a few more of the union barons over there if they really want to improve it for the workers, if we boycott over here, it will only mean they will get it done in China or some other labour related country who our shops take advantage of , then again, you would be paying more in the shops, are you prepared to do this?

Answer 3

We should see if we can get them to do it for 20p per day. That way we can get our clothers even cheaper. Its just how capitalism works get over it, and as far as whining about human rights its not my job to worry about Bangladeshis halfway across the world. Be a realist theres not going to be world peace, theres not going to be a closer gap between the social classes especially in a third world country. If you're so worried about them why not give them all of your extra money?

Answer 4

If we had some way of knowing which manufacturers paid fair wages, and which paid low wages, (eg the government forced them to print a wage rating on their labels) then we us consumers could avoid the company with the bad employee conditions and instead choose to shop with the company upholding good employee rights.

The result would be higher profits to the companys with better employee conditions.

This sort of system will be introduced as it would solve the problem, it's just a matter of when.....

Answer 5

It is scandalous - they're starving & poor, with no real hope of a better life outside of their own country. We often complain on here about how tough we have it, but they're REALLY suffering, & they aren't holding their begging bowls to the camera crews who film them for documentaries, etc. They're really an example to us all, & should be paid a lot more.

Answer 6

I heard this over the week. I am not sure it is my place to intervene. If workers are being abused I think it is a local matter. I don't buy from those stores anyway but if I did I would stop.

xxB

Answer 7

First of, I am not having any garments industries. I have worked in two multi-national industries in Bangladesh and now in my own business exporting to P.R. China. So, please do not assume that I do not have sympathy for the poor people or I am biased towards the industry.

1. Bangladesh was a backwater with a lot of people who were underfed and without education. Hopelessness was widespread since its inception in 1971 due to selfish policies of the political leaders who were no better than those people from whom we got ourselves liberated.

2. From early 1980s when a few private entrepreneurs started setting of Garments industries in Bangladesh for Cut & Make or whatever jargon they use it in the industry. The rate was good per dozen of say shirts for these CM jobs. I do not have exact figures but heard them from friends working as Managers or top-level executives. The rate has been curtailed to almost half and in some cases they are getting 25% of the CM now.

3. We used to hear a lot of persecutions on girls and women in poverty stricken families in 1970s and 1980s. Poor girls and ladies are now forming the backbone of the Garments Industries in Bangladesh and with say 40p per day these unfortunate people could barely manage food and clothing for themselves and their immediate family members.

4. Then came the International Trade Unions with USA Government's pressure on Bangladesh Govt to allow the garments worker to form Trade Unions and such things which are seen as 'cancer' in our society as the leaders are at best hooligans who would not bother to shut down or ransack their own factory in the name their 'democratic rights'. The foreign companies from Korea, Taiwan, Japan and from western countries who invested heavily in the "Export Processing Zones" started withdrawing their investment in the wake of these unruly trade unionists, thereby, making a lot of such innocent girls and ladies return to their old fate.

5. There are greedy Garments Factory owners who would indulge in bending the existing Labor law and depriving the workers from getting the minimum amenities of life which has been guaranteed by the law of the land, not to mention about those facilities as prescribed by the Buyers from the west, particularly from USA, Canada and Europe.

In a nutshell, we are grateful to the people of the world who helped us to have this industry thrive in our country and also to support our workers in attaining some sort of respectability which would not have been possible without direct intervention of the Buyers and pressure groups, as mentioned above.

However, what we saw in recent days and also in past years is that the dirt-politicians of our countries in collusion with one of the mighty neighbor has systematically destroying our this only hopeful sector of industry by vandalizing the factory and harming the management by resorting to hooliganism. The sector has already suffered by recent political turmoil and I would request that please do not add insult to the injury inflicted by asking higher wages from already flailing industry of ours.

Thank you for your sympathy and support.

Answer 8

Shame you have got some dumb answers as it's a serious issue. All i hav done is support charities who help people in these situations.

It's sad to see that some people have so little regard for the plight of their fellow man. Our actions have consequences.

'they are because we are' ......think about it!

Answer 9

Difficult,

Yes sounds like they should be paid more, But you need to find out what everone else there earns for sinilar work?

Answer 10

nothing, there's none of my business what they earn in Bangladesh, I'm underpaid myself in Ireland ...

Answer 11

Just ignore it,the companies that they work for are certain to go out of business due to paying high wages!