Victory: Workers 
 see blank arrest 
 warrants dropped 

We are pleased to share a huge campaign victory. The 40,000 blank arrest warrants that were launched by factory owners to stop workers from organising on the streets in Bangladesh have finally been dismissed.

5th November 2025
What's really inside the box?
Two years ago on the streets of Dhaka, lines of police aimed their loaded guns at crowds of striking garment workers. Protest chants mingled with the smoke from burning tyres, as thousands of people marched through the streets. The protests were a direct response to the news that garment workers would be paid a poverty wage 12,500 taka (£90) – roughly half the monthly Living Wage that trade unions wanted. With the tyrannical Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina governing Bangladesh the protests fell on deaf ears and the police opened fire killing four garment workers.

In the aftermath of the protests garment workers faced unprecedented attacks on their workplace freedoms and civil liberties. Thousands of people were arrested and 40,000 blank arrest warrants were filed by factory bosses. The fact that at any moment, anyone’s name could be added to a blank warrant, created a climate of fear designed to stop people from unionising.

Yet this story is one of victory. A year later, revolution was sparked in Bangladesh by students calling for economic justice and social change. Hope arrived with a new interim government in charge. Trade unionists continued to fight to have this injustice overturned.

Labour Behind the Label worked hard to push for the cases to be dropped. We repeatedly lobbied 14 brands linked to the cases to get the charges dropped. Over 800 of you sent petitions.

Alongside the Rana Plaza Solidarity collective we organsied the ‘Wages Not Warrants’ protests which saw huge crowds and drummers take to Oxford Street fashion stores, and shop actions in Manchester. We worked to build support with British trade unions, pushing the Bangladeshi embassy to act. The real breakthrough came from the work of Bangladeshi unionists negotiating with the interim government to act unilaterally. Finally this autumn, we were able to declare that the cases have been finally dismissed.

We must all be proud to have supported our friends and comrades in Bangladesh through this unprecedented struggle. Thank you to everyone who took part.

What's really inside the box?

Wages not Warrants – our action

Street action in the UK formed a part of the global solidarity campaign on these cases, eventually winning a major victory for workers in Bangladesh. Over 800 of you sent petitions and many joined demonstrations ourside stores in London and Manchester. Staff wrote to many UK brands to pressure them to get the cases dropped. 

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