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Five hundred garment workers in Bangladesh have been sacked, five women raped and three women killed because of their campaign for the right to one day's holiday each week. Since July 25, 1995, the National Garment Workers' Federation of Bangladesh has mobilised a courageous campaign under the heading "No more labour slavery — total leave on Friday is a must". Their campaign has won widespread support in the teeth of vicious anti-trade unionism by the bosses and the government. There are over one million workers, mainly women and children, in the garment industry in Bangladesh. They work long hours in very bad and often dangerous conditions in small factories, with low pay, no holidays and no day off. Although there is the legal right to Friday as a holiday, this is not observed and workers are sacked for demanding it. Addressing a rally in Dhaka on December 10, World Human Rights Day, Amiral Haque Amin, general secretary of the National Garment Workers' Federation said "More than 100 workers were sacked from garment factories in November for their involvement in trade union activities, and more than 400 were given no reason for their dismissal. "At the same time five women workers were raped and three were killed. "Ten factories were closed without giving the workers due wages and overtime payments. More than 100 factories had not paid the workers their due wages or overtime payments for the last three to four months." Amin claimed that garment workers have to work 14-16 hours. "Sometimes workers have to tolerate physical torture and women workers are frequently harassed. They do not have housing, medical or transport facilities." Please send solidarity messages and donations to: Amiral Haque Amin, General Secretary, National Garment Workers' Federation, GPO Box 864, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fax: Attn. Amin 880-2-867485.
[Information from PeaceNet.]