Back in May, thousands of activists signed our petition to Primark to ask what action they are taking for the hundreds of Bangladeshi workers sacked or arrested during violent protests this January. Primark have now come back with the details.
It’s good news.
Primark have suspended new orders at all the factories affected and have teams doing weekly visits to selected sites to ensure changes are made. Factories have to provide evidence on 8 points before they can start receiving new orders, including showing that charges have been dropped and compensation paid to workers affected.
You asked Primark to call on suppliers to reinstate all the workers who lost their jobs for peacefully exercising their rights. Primark say they have secured compensation for all the workers dismissed and, in a few cases, got them reinstated. We are waiting for the full figures.
M&S now need to step up
We have also been lobbying other UK brands who had suppliers involved in the repression. Next have investigated their suppliers and called on them to reinstate workers, compensate those dismissed and for charges to be dropped. Again, we want to see the final outcomes but Next is also stepping up. M&S however have only responded with generic information and little detail. You can check the progress on all brands involved in the repression using this tracker.
Thanks again for your work. Standing in solidarity with workers and calling on brands to act really does make a difference.
Is your fave brand complicit in the crackdown?
You can check what action brands have taken in response to the recent repression of workers’ rights in Bangladesh by using this tracker.