1,500 Bangladesh Garment Workers Are On A Hunger Strike

The more than 1,500 employees of apparel-maker Tuba Group in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who began a hunger strike on July 28 plan to continue their protest until the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) addresses a list of demands.

According to bdnews24.com, the five-point agenda includes payment (in full) of wages, overtime, and bonuses for May, June, and July; the death penalty for Tuba Group managing director Delwar Hossain; and compensation for the 112 workers who perished in the 2012 Tuba Group-owned Tarzeen Fashions fire, the reason Hossain is in prison. BGMEA’s acting president announced that two months’ salary would be distributed to each of the workers on Wednesday — with the remainder paid by August 10.

However, Moshrefa Mishu, the movement’s coordinator, told bdnews24.com, “The BGMEA seems to be joking. But the workers are in no mood to enjoy a joke. The payment of dues is a must. Otherwise, we will continue our movement till death.” About 122 workers are sick, though the protestors show no signs of giving up — a reminder that there’s much more to do for laborers' rights than persuade retailers to endorse the Bangladesh Accord. (bdnews24.com)