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May 31, 2006
Update Bangladeshi garmentworkers
protests
Continued Action Needed:
Contact Bangladeshi Authorities Now!
 Dear
friends,
Following demonstrations in reaction to
the wide-ranging rights violations in the
garment sector in Bangladesh, many garment
workers remain under arrest and outstanding
issues regarding working conditions have
yet to be fully addressed by authorities
and industry. Your support is needed to
call for the charges to be dropped and those
workers imprisoned to be released. The government
must be pushed to launch an immediate investigation
into the root cause of the riots and instigate
measures to address them. Improvements in
the Bangladesh garment industry are long
overdue -- please adapt and send the sample
message below!
Take Action Now! >>
As this report was being compiled, the
CCC was receiving new reports of more worker
demonstrations and work stoppages at the
Dhaka Export Processing Zone, including
at A-One, Youngone, Soft Text and Honourway,
reportedly leaving 50 workers wounded.
Recent news
On May 26 the CCC reported that four arrested
union staff were released (insert link to
earlier appeal). We have since been informed
by the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers
Union Federation (BIGUF) that the charges
against three of their staff will not be
dropped) until the police have submitted
their formal report to the court. As many
as 19 charges have been filed against Mishu
Mushrefa of the Garment Workers Unity Forum
(GWUF), who is currently out of jail on
bail, seven of these chargeshave been filed
at the Ashuli-Savar Thana (police station)
and twelve at Gazipur Thana.
An unknown number of garment workers are
under arrest or facing charges: BIGUF reports
that in the Gazipur area at least 21 persons
remained in jail. GWUF reports 11 garment
workers still in jail. The total number
is probably far higher; earlier this week
sources stated that up to 4,000 people may
have been charged and may be facing arrest
for their alleged role in riots.
Meanwhile, though most workplaces are reportedly
operational, protests continue particularly
over the extremely low wages paid to garment
workers, but also on many of the other violations
of workers rights. Local newspapers report
that on May 28th at least ten workers were
hurt in a clash over wages at Experience
Sweater, a Pakistani-owned knitting factory
in the Dhaka EPZ, and on May 29th workers
of the Ownerway factory in the Dhaka Export
Processing Zone began a work stoppage in
the afternoon and confined management by
closing the doors and the windows of the
factory. Workers had become upset following
a statement from management that wages for
1,300 workers would not be raised (300 of
the total workforce of 1,600 had received
a wage increase). The workers released management
after the owners assured them that the problem
would be resolved.
Following last week’s announcements
of a “Wage Board” to be set up,
the BGMEA apparently has agreed to raise
the basic minimum salary within 90 days
of the formation of the wage board, but
fails to state by how much.
The labor organizations are pressing for
increasing the workers’ minimum monthly
wages to Tk 3,000 (18 dollar cents an hour).
The minimum wage for the garment sector
workers was last fixed in 1994 at 930 Taka.
Since then, the cost of living shot up by
about 50 per cent, according to official
assessment, though independent economists
put it at hundred per cent. In dollar terms,
where it was worth some $33 ten years ago,
today this comes down to $16 in real value
due to devaluation of Bangladesh Taka against
dollar. In the same period, the garment
industry in Bangladesh saw spectacular growth
and continues to grow. According to minister
for Home Affairs Babar, in 2001 the garment
export was 5$5 billion per year, and now
it has crossed $10.5 billion.
Action request
Please contact the Bangladeshi authorities
and the embassy in your country (see
list below).
Sample message (please adapt as you see
fit):
[insert date]
Dear
I (or insert organisation name) wish to
express grave concern at the riots that
have recently shaken Bangladesh’s garment
industry. I understand that two workers
are confirmed dead, hundreds have been injured,
and some 200 factories have been destroyed
in the disturbances.
Clearly, these riots are the inevitable
consequence of the appalling exploitation
that prevails in the industry in Bangladesh.
But instead of facing reality and tackling
the problems, it appears that your government
is clamping down on legitimate trade union
organisations and workers themselves.
I (my organization) call upon you to immediately
release those arrested and drop all charges,
and raise the minimum wage to 3000 taka
per month. launch an investigation in the
root causes of the riots, focusing in particular
on the following problems:
- repression of unions and failure to
respect the right to organize and to collective
bargaining;
- unfair dismissals of elected worker
representatives;
- excessively long working hours;·
low rates of basic earnings;
- abuses in piece rate payments;
- the late payment of wages;
- the use of child labour;
- issues of structural and fire safety
in the sector;
- the corrupt police practice of charge
sheeting workers on the flimsiest of evidence;
- the practice of supervisors acting
as labour contractors and illegally raking
off a percentage of wages;
- the practice of using hired goons to
terrorise and intimidate workers;
- the behaviour of the police and other
paramilitary forces when unrest occurs.
Sincerely,
Addresses for Bangladeshi
authorities:
Begum Khaleda Zia
Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Prime Minister's Office
Old Parliament House,
Tejgaon, Dhaka
BANGLADESH
E-mail: pm@pmobd.org;
psecretary@pmobd.org
Fax: +88 2 8113244 / 811015 / 8113243
HE Mr. Moudud Ahmed
Minister of Law, Justice, & Parliamentary
Affairs
Fax: 880 2 8618557
E-mail: minoflaw@bdonline.com
HE Mr. Amanuallah Aman
State Minster of Labor and Employment
Fax: 880.2.716.86.60
HE Minister of Commerce
Fax : +880.2.961.57.41
Email : mincom@bdonline.com
Addresses for embassies:
Please check this information
since we haven’t been able to verify
all phone/fax numbers and e-mail addresses.
Our excuses when we have not been able to
include the contact information of the embassy
or consulate in your country.
High Commission of Bangladesh in Canberra,
Australia - Bangladesh High Commission P.O.
Box 5, Red Hill, ACT 2603, Australia. Telephone
: (612) 6290-0511, (612) 6290-0522, (612)6290-0533
(Auto hunting). Fax : (612) 6290-0544, (612)
6290-0566. E-Mail :bdoot.canberra@cyberone.com.au
Embassy of Bangladesh to Manama, Bahrain
- Hse. no. 159, Rd. no. 2004, Block no.
320, Area Hoora P.O. Box nos. 26718 &
23434 Tel.: +973 293 371 to 374 Fax 291
272 Embassy of Bangladesh to Brussels, Belgium
- 29-31 rue Jacques Jordaens, 1050 Brussels
Tel: +32-2 640 5500, 640 5606 Fax: 646 5998
Embassy of Bangladesh to Thimphu, Bhutan
- Plot no. IIIG-3, Upper Chubachu Tel.:
+975 22539 Fax: 22629
Embassy of Bangladesh to Brasilia-DF,
Brazil - Shis, QL-10, Conj. O1, Casa 17,
Brasilia DF, Brazil CEP 70468-900 Tel:+55-61
248 4830, 248 4905 Fax: 248 4609
High Commission of Bangladesh to Darussalam,
Brunei - AAR Villa, Simpag 308, House no.
5, Jalan Lamback Kanan Bandar Seri, Begawan
-3685, Brunei Tel: 673-2-394-716 Fax: 673-2-394-715
High Commission of Bangladesh in Ottawa,
Canada - High Commissioner: Aminul Islam
Address: 275 Bank Street, Suit # 302, Ottawa,
Ontario K2P216, Canada. Tel: (613) 236-0139
Fax: (613)-567-3213 email: bdootcanada@iosphere.net
Embassy of Bangladesh to Beijing, China
- 42 Guang Hua Lu, Beijing-100600, China
Tel: 65- 3225 21, 65-323706 Fax: 65-324346
Embassy of Bangladesh to Cairo, Egypt -
47 Ahmed Heshmat Str., Zamalek Tel: +20-2
341 2645, 340 2401 Fax: 341 2631
Embassy of Bangladesh to Paris, France
- 39, Ruf Fri Anger, 75016 Paris, France
Tel: 4651-9033, 4651-9830 (PABX) Fax:4651-9035
Embassy of Bangladesh in Berlin, Germany
– Dovestr. 1, D-10587 Berlin, Germany.
Tel: +49 30-398975-0, Fax: +49 30- 39897510.
E-mail: bdootbn@aol.com
Consulate of Bangladesh to Hong Kong -
Rm. 3807, China Resources Building, 26 Harbour
Rd., Wanchai Tel: +852 827 4278/9 Fax: 827
1916
Embassy of Bangladesh to Rome, Italy -
Via Antonio Bertoloni,14, 00197 Roma, Tel:
+39 068083595 / 068078541, Fax: +39 068084853,
E-mail:info@bangladeshembassyitaly.com
High Commission of Bangladesh to New Delhi,
India - 56 Ring Rd., Lajpat Nagar-III Tel:
+91-11 683 4065, 683 4668, 683 9209, Fax:
683 9237 Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh
to Calcutta, India - 9 Circus Ave., Calcutta
- 700017 Tel: +91-33 247 5208, 247 0341
Fax: 247 0941
Embassy of Bangladesh to Jakarta, Indonesia
- Jalan Situbondo No. 12, Menteng Tel: +62-21
314 1690, 310 2705 Fax: 324 850
Embassy of Bangladesh to Tehran, Iran
- Ave. Gandhi, Str. no. 5, Building no.
14 P.O. Box 11365-3711 Tel: +982-1 682 979
Fax: 883 277
Embassy of Bangladesh to Baghdad, Iraq
- Hse. no. 6, District 14, Sector 929, Hai
Al Babil P.O. Box 2092 Tel: +961 719 0063,
719 6367
Embassy of Bangladesh toTokyo, Japan -
7-45 Shirogane,2 Chome, Minato-Ku, Tokyo
108 Tel: +81-3 34 42 15 01/2 Fax: 34 47
36 76
High Commission of Bangladesh to Nairobi,
Kenya - Ole Odume Str., P.O. Box 41645 Tel:
+254-2 562 815/6 Fax: 562 817
Embassy of Bangladesh to Safat, Kuwait
- Hse. no. 3, Str. no. 14, Block 1, Khaldia
P.O. Box 22344 Safat, 13084 Kuwait Tel:
+965 483 4078 Fax: 483 1603
High Commission of Bangladesh to Surra,
Kuwait - Plot No. 361, Ali Bin Abi Taleb
Street, Block 6, Surra, Kuwait Tel:531-6042,
531-6043 PABX Fax:(965) 531-6041
Embassy of Bangladesh to Seoul, Korea
(S) - #33-5 Hannam 1-Dong Yongsan-Ku P.O.Box
7384 Seoul Tel.: +82-2 796 4065/7 Fax: 790
5313
Embassy of Bangladesh to Tripoli, Libya
- Hadba El-Khadra, Villa Omran El-Wershafani,
P.O. Box 5086, Tripoli Tel:+218-21 903 807,
900 856
Embassy of Bangladesh to Male, Maldives
- Male, Maldives Tel: 00960-330918 High
Commission of Bangladesh to Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia - No. 204-1, Jalan Ampang, 50450
Kuala Lumpur Tel: +60-3 242 3271,242 2505,
248 7940 Fax 241 3381
Embassy of Bangladesh to Yango, Myanmar
- 56 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd. P.O. Box 70 Tel:
+95-1 51174, 51378 Fax: 38745
Embassy of Bangladesh to Kathmandu, Nepal
- Naxal, Bhagawati Bahal, GPO Box 789 Tel:
+977-1 414 943, 414 265
Embassy of Bangladesh to Den Haag, Netherlands
- Wassenaarseweg 39, 2596 CG Den Haag. tel:
070- 328 3722, fax: 070 328 3524
Embassy of Bangladesh to Muscat, Oman
- Plot no. 181, Momtaz Area, P.O. Box 3959
Ruwi, Muscat 112 Tel: +968 788 373, 707
462, Fax: 708 495
High Commission of Bangladesh to Islamabad
, Pakistan - House no. 24, Str. no. 28,
F-6/1 Islamabad Tel: +92-51 213 885 Fax:
213 883 Deputy
High Commission of Bangladesh to Karachi,
Pakistan - 9 Choudhury Khaliquzzaman Rd.,
Karachi 0401 Tel: +92-21 516 597, 568 3984
Fax: 568 2303 Embassy of Bangladesh to Manila,
Philippines - 2nd Floor, Universal Re Building,
106 Paseo De Roxas, Makati, Metro Manila
Tel: +63-2 817 5010, 817 5001 Fax: 816 4941
Embassy of Bangladesh to Warsaw, Poland
- UIL, Rejtana 15, M. 20/21, 02516 Warsaw
Tel: +48-22 497 610, 493 075 Fax: 494 266
Embassy of Bangladesh to Doha, Qatar -
Villa No. 13, St no. 810, 42 Ibn Bajah,
No. 2080 Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 671-927,
673-471, Fax: +974 671-190 Embassy of Bangladesh
to Bucharest, Romania - Sos Kiseleff 55,
Villa 6 Tel: +40-1 617 1544/5 Fax: 312 8335
Embassy of Bangladesh to Moscow, Russia
- Zemledelcheski Perulok 6 Tel: +7-95 246
7900 Fax: 248 3185
Embassy of Bangladesh to Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia - Sulaimania, Al-Warud Quarter, House
No. 50, Sulaimania, Riyadh 11693,K.S.A.
Tel:465-5300, 465-1594 Fax:463-3555
Consulate General of Bangladesh to Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia - Kilo 3, Makkah Road, Jeddah
6215, Jeddah 21442 Tel: 687-8665, 689-4712
Fax:680-0392
High Commission of Bangladesh in Singapore
– 101 Thompson Road, #05-04, United
Square, , Singapore 307591, Phone: (65)
6255 0075 Fax: (65) 6255 1824 E-mail: bdoot@singnet.com.sg
Embassy of Bangladesh to Dakar, Senegal
- Immeuble Kebe (7th Floor), Ave. Andre
Paytavin Tel: +221 216 881 Fax: 225 017
High Commission of Bangladesh to Pretoria,
South Africa - 410 Farenden Street, Sunnyside,
Pretoria 0002, South Africa Tel: 27-12-343-2105
Fax: 27-12-343-5222-7, 343-5224
High Commission of Bangladesh to Colombo,
Sri Lanka - 286 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo-7
Tel: +94-1 502 198, 502 397 Fax: 508 123
Embassy of Bangladesh to Madrid, Spain
- C/Diego de Lieon-69, 2nd floor-D, 28006,
Madrid, Spain Tel:(34-1) 4019932, 4017149,
Fax:(34-1) 4029564
Embassy of Bangladesh in Stockholm, Sweden
- Address: Anderstorpvägen 12, 1st.
floor S-171 56 Solna Telephone: (+46) (8)
7305850/51/52 Telefax: (+46) (8) 7305870
E-mail: doot@bangladeshembassy.se and banijya@bangladeshembassy.se
Embassy of Bangladesh to Geneva, Switzerland
- 7 rue Henry Veyrassat, 1202 Geneva Tel:
+41-22 449 340/9 Permament Mission of Bangladesh
to United Nations, Geneva - 65, Rue de Lusannel
202, Geneva, Switzerland Tel:732-5940, 732-5949,
732-1239 Fax: (41-22) 738-4616
Embassy of Bangladesh to Bangkok , Thailand
- Hse. no. 727, Thonglor, Soi-55, Sukhumvit
Rd., Bangkok 10110 Tel: +66-2 392 9437/8
, Fax: 391 8070 Embassy of Bangladesh to
Ankara, Turkey - 78/7-10 Chinnah Caddesi,
Cankaya, Ankara, Turkey Tel: 439-27 50-51
Fax:(312) 439-2408 High Commission of Bangladesh
to London, U.K. - 28 Queen's Gate, SW7 5JA
Tel: +44-171 584 0081 Fax: 225 2130
Embassy of Bangladesh to Washington DC
– U.S.A - Ambassador: K.M. Shehabuddin,
Address: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite
# 300, Washington D.C. 20007. Tel: (202)
342-8372 to 8376, email: BanglaEmb@aol.com
Embassy of Bangladesh to Hanoi, Vietnam
- House No. A, Apartment # 101-108, Van
Phue Diplomatic Area-1, P.O. Box 131, Hanoi,
Vietnam Tel: 84-4-823-1625 Fax:84-4-231628
High Commission of Bangladesh to Harare,
Zimbabwe - No. 8 Berchenough Rd., Alexandra
Park Tel: +263-4 727 004 Fax: 702 720 231
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