15 June, 2017Workers at the Azim Group’s Orchid and Savar factories in Bangladesh, were attacked at the factory gates for wanting to form a union. Now company management has filed criminal charges against 61 of its workers.
Following on events at the end of May, when workers were threatened and physically attacked for wanting to form a union at Azim’s Orchid factory, company management has filed criminal charges against the 61 workers and union leaders involved. 38 of the workers have been released on bail, but 22 people are in jail.
According to reports, around 200 workers are under constant threat from local thugs and cannot go home or to work, for safety fears.
Workers have been forced by management to sign a document stating they do not want a union in the workplace, as a condition to return to work.
The Bangladesh government, as well as all responsible employers need to understand the impact that the actions of rogue employers like the Azim Group have on the reputation of the industry internationally,
says IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Jenny Holdcroft.
They must step in to stop the violence and imprisonment of workers and bring an end to the political culture of trade union repression.
The Azim Group has a history of denying workers freedom of association, similar events took place in 2014 at the Global Garment/Trousers factory.