This week’s GWD monthly update carries the project through to the end of February 2022. Even though it was a short month, garment workers continued to work very long hours at their factories-many of them working hours in excess of the legal limit established by the Government of Bangladesh. This is a phenomenon we keep pointing out in our reports but it seems like no one really cares. Maybe it is because it is so common it is just accepted as the norm. Or maybe it’s because no one wants to point to the downside of the industrial success that is the garment sector in Bangladesh-the factories are humming, workers are earning, and exports are up.
But, at some point, people are going to have to start paying attention and caring. In a couple of years from now it is likely that buyers are going to be held accountable for excess work hours (and the issues related to pay that come with it, as discussed in the blog) under an EU Due Diligence Directive that is currently in draft form. Maybe they should start now.
In other news, the record number of hours workers logged in January meant that typical salary earnings in February were also record-breaking for some workers-for men, but not women.
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As always, you can send any questions you have for MFO, SANEM, the workers or about the project to [email protected].
