Two leading global buyers have warned of their business cut with a local apparel-manufacturing group following an alleged attack on trade-union leaders in a latest hassle, sources said.
The warnings came after an incident of attack on union activists that took place in November this year near the Global Garments Ltd and alleged violation of labour rights at Global Trousers Ltd of Azim Group in Chittagong.
VF Corporation, the American clothing giant which produces the North Face, Nautica, Wrangler and Timberland brands, and Li & Fung, a global supply-chain company that helps arrange apparel production for Kohl's in Bangladesh, have announced that they were terminating or suspending orders with Azim Group, the parent organization of the two units where the attacks took place.
"VF has informed Azim (owner of the factory) of our intention to end our business relationship due to the violation of our global compliance principles," Craig Hodges, Director, Corporate Communications of VF Corporation, informed this correspondent through a mail.
He, however, wouldn't comment further on the details in their action plan.
On the other hand, the New York Times on December 22 reported about the similar intention of another buyer-Li & Fung-about the Azim Group.
The Worker Rights Consortium, a monitoring group sponsored by more than 180 American universities, investigated the attacks outside the two factories and brought those attacks to the attention of VF and other apparel companies.
A report the consortium sent to Azim's customers on Dec 18 concluded, "Overwhelming testimonial and videographic evidence prove that Azim Group carried out a coordinated series of attacks on leaders of the GGL (Global Garments Ltd) union on November 10, involving numerous intentional acts of violence and public humiliation."
These attacks were planned by Azim Group in advance and were executed under the direct supervision of GGL managerial personnel, with individual acts carried out by workers assigned to the task by management and, in some cases, by managerial employees themselves, it added.
"The purpose of the attacks was to punish these individual workers for their lawful and peaceful participation in union activities, to discourage them from any further attempts to advocate for their fellow workers, and to send a message to the GGL workforce as a whole that union activity is opposed by factory management and will draw reprisals - with the overall goal of destroying the GGL union."
Representatives of the consortium interviewed the union leaders who had been beaten and many other workers from the two Azim factories in the port city.
"It is important to note that some of the attacks were recorded by Azim Group on its own security camera. We have reviewed the video. The evidence is overwhelming that Azim Group used violence and other means to retaliate against the union leaders," Scott Nova, the consortium's executive director, told the FE in an email.
"If the government of Bangladesh wants to regain GSP benefits, the government must enforce the law by protecting workers who are peacefully exercising their rights and by punishing employers who retaliate against workers for doing so," he further said.
However, Mr Azim (owner of Azim Group) could not be reached for comments despite repeated calls and sms.
When asked, Md Shahidullah Azim, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said: "The allegation against the group is not true. Azim Group is the pioneer of allowing trade-union activities in factories for last 23 years."
He claims the attacks took place outside the factory and the factory managements were not involved in the incident "rather it is the trade union leaders and workers".
When communicated, Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar said the government has formed committee incorporating representatives from factory authority, workers and labour leaders to settle the issue.
"The committee was asked to submit a report within fifteen days, which has already expired," he said, adding that they are expecting the report within a couple of days.
munni_fe@yahoo.com
