Garment Workers' Rights Under Threat in South Asia

Recent reports by Amnesty International highlight the exploitation of garment workers in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan, particularly during the Black Friday shopping season when major clothing brands offer discounted deals. The reports, titled "Stitched Up" and "Abandoned by Fashion," emphasize the critical need for these workers to have the right to organize and form unions to combat poor working conditions and low wages.

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Amnesty International conducted interviews with 64 garment workers, including 12 union organizers and labor rights activists, revealing a pervasive "climate of fear" in the industry. Two-thirds of the interviewed workers were women, who reported long hours, inadequate wages, and abusive conditions. Many workers faced threats of retaliation for attempting to unionize, with labor rights activist Taufiq from Bangladesh stating, “When workers raise their voices, they are ignored. When they try to organize, they are threatened and sacked.”

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The reports indicate that the governments of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have failed to ensure a living wage for garment workers, instead fostering environments that prioritize attracting foreign investment through low wages. Workers often operate under informal contracts, lacking mechanisms to report abuses, including violence and sexual harassment.

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The establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and Free Trade Zones has created significant barriers to union organization. In Bangladesh, for example, officials encourage the formation of "welfare associations" instead of allowing genuine trade unions, limiting workers' ability to collectively bargain. Amnesty's findings reveal that major fashion brands, including Adidas, H&M, and Shein, have codes of conduct affirming workers' rights but show limited commitment to enforcing these policies at the factory level.

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Data from the reports indicate low levels of unionization among suppliers: Adidas reported that only 9.5% of its suppliers in the region had unions, while H&M had unions in just 29 out of 145 factories in Bangladesh.

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Amnesty International criticizes the governments of the four countries for effectively denying workers' rights to freedom of association. The organization notes that these governments have established arbitrary barriers to union registration and failed to protect workers from corporate abuses. Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, stated, “The economic success of the garment industry must come hand-in-hand with the realization of workers’ rights.”

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Amnesty International has proposed several recommendations for fashion companies, including the development of ethical sourcing strategies that reward genuine freedom of association and penalize its denial. Companies are urged to work with independent trade unions to strengthen worker organizing and ensure that their policies on workers' rights are implemented effectively.

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• “When workers raise their voices, they are ignored. When they try to organize, they are threatened and sacked. And finally, when workers protest, they are beaten, shot at, and arrested,” — Taufiq, Labor Rights Activist, Bangladesh

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• “The need of the hour is to build a human rights-respecting sourcing strategy for the global garment industry,” — Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International

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The reports by Amnesty International underscore the urgent need for systemic change in the garment industry to protect workers' rights. Ensuring freedom of association is essential for addressing the exploitation faced by millions of garment workers in South Asia.

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