Catherwood LibraryILR School

With the Dhaka Apparel Summit in Bangladesh taking place tomorrow, H&M, Inditex, C&A, Next and Tchibo, all major retailers and contributors to the Bangladeshi economy, have decided to refrain from coming to the massive garment industry event. This action was provoked by the Bangladeshi government’s crackdown on union activity. According to various activist organizations within Bangladesh, there were mass firings of union members and many union offices throughout the country were shut down with leaders being detained. These retail giants have taken a strong stance against the neglect and abuse of union members and organizers by the Bangladeshi government and hope that this symbolic action and its economic consequences for the country will have an impact on the manner in which workers are being treated. Following the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse which killed over 1,000 workers due to poor working conditions, Bangladesh has been under heightened scrutiny for its workers’ rights.