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24 Apr 2024

Bangladesh: 11 years on from Rana Plaza collapse, labour rights violations persist in factories

11 years on from the biggest industrial disaster in Bangladesh's history, trade unionists, labour leaders, survivors and relatives of the deceased paid tribute to those who died in the Rana Plaza collapse, where as many as 1,138 garment workers lost their lives when Rana Plaza collapsed in Savar. At least 2,500 workers sustained severe injuries. Workers formed a human chain, laying out their 12-point demands, including, fair compensation for the workers disabled in the Rana Plaza collapse, unrestricted formation of trade unions and prevention of violence and sexual harassment against women workers. Workers also called on members of the EU Parliament to vote on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

In the years since the tragedy, workers have continued to face poor working conditions and limits to unions collective bargaining powers, as well as a crackdown on workers' protesting for their basic rights, as 2023 saw workers who were protesting for a liveable minimum wage face threats and fake complaints to deter them from organising. Workers' rights bodies say global fashion brands should commit to paying living wages and absorbing the higher labour costs in order to protect garment workers labour rights.

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