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Protection not Profit, Protest against Primark's Treatment of Bangladeshi Worker

Coventry Solidarity Federation | 28.04.2013 09:45 | Globalisation | Workers' Movements | Birmingham | London

A non-violent disruption protest has been organised for this Saturday 4th May 2013 inside and in front of Primark in Coventry. We will be showing our solidarity by publicly shaming any company which exploits its workers across the world in low-paying jobs and those who completely disregard the safety of their workers in order to seek maximum profit.



The Coventry Solidarity Federation invite you to join us in a peaceful disruption and protest in and outside of Primark in order to raise awareness of those 250 killed and the 1000 injured this week. We will be there to show solidarity with those workers denied the basic cares and protection we would all expect from our employers. Stop the needless loss of life in Bangladeshi factories and stand up in solidarity with the workers in Dhaka! The protest will involve entering Primark and engaging with staff and customers on camera as well as handing out literature to customers/hiding them amongst the stock. Afterwards, we'll be making some noise outside of the store.

These workers died this week in order for Western consumers to pay pittance for their clothes. They died because companies like Primark chose profit over protection for their workers. Bangladeshi workers should have the same rights as British workers.

Some facts to inspire you to stand up in solidarity:

- Bangladesh's garment workers are some of the hardest working women in the world, but also among the poorest.
- Pregnant women are being cheated of their paid legal maternity leave and fired without their back wages, severance, vacation time and their Eid religious festival bonus.
- Working 86- to 92-hour weeks, workers earned just 21 to 25 cents an hour.
- Workers are prohibited from speaking during working hours, and if they do so, they are beaten.
- Supervisors throw garments in the women's faces, cursing at them to go faster.
- Workers have no health care; no paid sick leave.
- Management strictly prohibits even the mention of a union. If workers are suspected of organizing, they will be immediately terminated.
- Workers and their families are housed in tiny tin hovels not fit for human habitation. One hundred fifty people share just two water pumps, washing with their clothes on as there is no privacy.

See you there.
Contact us at  coventrysolidarityfederation@riseup.net for more details, travel arrangements etc.

Coventry Solidarity Federation
- e-mail: coventrysolidarityfederation@riseup.net


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