“The Low Price” of the textile discounter KiK – consequences for labour conditions in textile factories in Bangladesh: Difference between revisions

The research study in 2008 revealed that the labour standards at Bangladeshi factories of the suppliers of KiK were very bad. The workers aren’t allowed to build up or join a labour party. The sewers have to work regularly overtime, because they need to fulfil their daily goals. These goals are being set so high, that it is not possible to fulfil them in the regular working time. The working time is 9-14 hours a day, which makes 80-100 hours a week. To work overtime is not an option; everyone who says that he/she doesn’t want to do extra hours loses his/her work. They have to work 6 or 7 days a week. The majority of the workers are mostly young women who need their job to contribute to their family’s livelihood. They are really frightened of losing their job. They accept the bad working conditions because they can be replaced every day by a new woman who is keen on this job. In the crowded city the work in the garment factories is the best job a young woman can get. When she loses it she needs to return home to her poor village and suffer even more from hunger. The payment of the workers isn’t based on transparent criteria. The payment depends on subjective criteria like beauty, age or interaction with the headmen. The date of payment is unregularly, often too late (middle till end of following month) and doesn’t match with the working hours they actually performed. Overtime isn’t paid transparently, too. The workers don’t have a contract of labour and don’t get an overview on their working hours and the resulting payment. 85% women are working at the factories. Women are paid worse than men. This is justified by saying that women do the “lighter” work than men. Women who restart to work in the factory after their pregnancy lose their former payment status and must take a newcomer wage. The women are suffering from the discrimination caused by the headmen. Sometimes they are discriminated, shouted or even hit. In cases of illness workers lose their jobs. There is no real health care system available. Health, hygiene and safety requirements are really bad. Drinking water is only available in one out of six factories. A factory canteen or day-care facilities for children are only in use when the auditor comes for a visit. Most of the workers do not have even heard about a code of conduct. But they were forced to say that everything is right in the factory when an inspection occurred. They were threatened with losing their jobs if they would tell the truth.<ref name="A" />  

Khorshed Alam is a leader of the Bangladeshi NGO “Alternative Movement for resources and Freedom” (AMRF). He summarised the inspections in his report for the “Clean Cloth Campaign” that take place as: “During these visits, the factory owners put on a show. Toilets are cleaned. The workers are forced to declare that there is no child labour in their factory, that the working atmosphere is good and that their wages are paid on time. They should also say that they are entitled to take regular holidays, are not forced to work overtime and do not have to work at night. When questioned about their pay, they should say they earn more than they actually do. Workers who are very young or look too young are forced to stay away from work when buyers or auditors visit. In the case of unannounced visits, they are locked in the toilets. There are known cases of workers presenting the real situation to buyers and consequently being dismissed for doing so.”<ref name="A" />