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Bangladesh's garment workers impacted by Western buyers paying 10% less for clothes

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

If you wear clothes from Tommy Hilfiger or Macy's or Calvin Klein, or many other well-known brands, chances are that some of those clothes come from Bangladesh, which is the second-largest exporter of ready-made garments in the world, after China. Western buyers going to Bangladesh are paying almost 10% less than they used to. Good for us - not so good if you're a garment worker. Shamim Chowdhury reports from the garment district of Gazipur.

(SOUNDBITE OF SEWING MACHINE)

SHAMIM CHOWDHURY, BYLINE: Ayesha Begum's slender fingers glide the needle along the jeans she's piecing together. It's for the clothing store Zara. The jeans are sold for around $50. Ayesha earns $134 a month.

AYESHA BEGUM: (Through interpreter) I can't get by on what I earn. I have to pay for my son's schooling. I have to pay rent. I have to look after my mother and my father-in-law. It's just not enough.

CHOWDHURY: Zara did not respond to requests for comments on this story. Ayesha works at Beximco, one of the largest garment factories in Bangladesh, employing 23,000 workers. She's one of four million garment workers making clothes for American and European markets - brands like Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and others. But Western buyers are paying less for the clothes, and food prices are up by around 10% since last year, making it hard for Ayesha and others to make ends meet. One reason for this is increased competition among the factories. Manager Khaled Shahrior says retailers aren't concerned with the increased costs local factories are bearing.

KHALED SHAHRIOR: They don't actually, you know, bother about the everyday inflation or food price and everything. So they should have that accountability.

CHOWDHURY: But the industry has also suffered, following a wave of political unrest. In August, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country, following a student uprising. At least four factories were set alight, including Beximco, and there was a nationwide internet blackout. Mushfiq Mobarak, professor of economics at Yale University, says several brands moved out of the country.

MUSHFIQ MOBARAK: In those other countries, they're actually paying more - like, 20% more. Then that suggests that that margin did exist, and they could afford to pay. It's just that then, when they're sourcing from Bangladesh, they're not willing to pay that margin.

CHOWDHURY: Economist and Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus is serving as the chief adviser for the caretaker government. Mobarak says he could use his influence to protect workers' rights.

MOBARAK: He could use his voice effectively to bring international buyers to the table, and help them recognize their ethical obligations towards poor Bangladeshi workers.

(SOUNDBITE OF SEWING MACHINES)

CHOWDHURY: The 4,000 or so garment factories in Bangladesh account for 84% of its exports. They generated $47 billion in revenue last year, but the workers can earn as little as $104 a month. Since the uprising, some of them have been protesting. Union leader Kalpana Akter says a recent minimum wage increase didn't go far enough.

KALPANA AKTER: It's not enforced in many factories yet. And also, where it has been enforced, many factory did not follow the law.

CHOWDHURY: I head across town to visit another worker. Iti Khatun earns $126 a month. $25 of that is for rent and bills. Around $30 goes towards her son's schooling. But with one kilo of rice costing more than $1, she has to stick to a basic diet.

ITI KHATUN: (Through interpreter) Meat costs $6 a kilo. If I eat meat, it will be too difficult for me to budget for the rest of the month.

CHOWDHURY: Khatun says she'll never be able to afford the clothes she makes. Mobarak says Western consumers should be more aware of the impact of their shopping habits.

MOBARAK: They need to understand that the decisions they make, such as going to another retailer to chase lowest prices, ultimately will have an effect on the wages paid to the workers who produce those garments.

CHOWDHURY: We contacted the Ministry of Labor and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exports Association, which represents the factories, but got no response. The workers' request is simple - a decent wage and a dignified life. For NPR News, I'm Shamim Chowdhury in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Shamim Chowdhury