US Congress calls for release of Bangladesh labour leaders
Eleven members of the US Congress have called on Bangladesh government to release jailed labour activists and restore workers’ rights in the country.
The congressmen sent a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and raises deep concerns about the criminalisation of legal labor activity in the country, according to a press release issued by Congresswomen Jan Schakowsky.
The letter was signed by Jan Schakowsky, Sander Levin, Bill Pascrell, Bobby Scott, James P McGovern, Mark Pocan, William Keating, Jackie Speier, Joseph Crowley, Steve Cohen and Barbara Lee, said the release.
The letter comes after a crackdown on labor rights in the country. At least 1,600 garment industry workers were suspended or fired for their participation in protests over the 32-cent-per-hour minimum wage. Dozens of labor rights leaders have been jailed recently, read the release.
The letter states “We regret the backsliding of progress and deplore the criminalization of activities protected under Bangladesh and international law. We call on you to provide an immediate accounting of all individuals who have been detained, a review of the many charges which have been made, and urge your intervention to assure that the responsible government entities drop all meritless and unsubstantiated charges, immediately releasing those wrongly detained.”
The letter highlights the significant reversals in labor rights that have occurred in the four years since one of the world’s worst industrial disasters occurred at the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh, which collapsed killing some 1,100 workers. It states:
“We are extremely concerned that the respect for labor rights in Bangladesh is moving in the wrong direction, and call upon you to personally intervene, and to clarify the government’s policies and practices in the face of the deterioration in labor rights.”
Bangladesh is a top supplier for global brands such as Wal-Mart, VF Corporation, Target, Berkshire Hathaway, Carters, Sears Holding Corporation, PVH, Gap, Inc., JC Penney Company and Kohl’s.