Thousands of factories in Bangladesh that make clothes for retailers aren't paid enough, according to the United Steelworkers union.
Thousands of workers in Bangladesh who make clothes for Canadian Tire are not paid a living wage, according to a complaint filed with the Canadian government.
The United Steelworkers union (USW), which has at least 225,000 members in Canada, filed a complaint with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible enterprise.
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The head of global affairs for the USW in Canada believes that playing for Canada also means being concerned about workers overseas. Concerns should be spread through the entire supply chain, not just at Canadian borders.
Canadian Tire makes sure its suppliers comply with local law.
Canadian Tire Corp. tracks wage rates and works with third parties to audit factories that make its products.
Thousands of workers in Bangladesh who make clothes for most of the world's leading brands have had to cut down on food because of inflation.
In the wake of the Rana Plaza clothing factory collapse that killed more than 1,000 workers, the South Asian nation has taken steps to ensure worker safety. They said the minimum wage for garment workers isn't enough to support families.
Mark's manufactures garments in Bangladesh for several labels.
The photo was taken by Mark's.
Canadian companies believe in respecting human rights. The head of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity said that living wages are one of the pillars of human rights. How are they respecting human rights if they don't pay a living wage? Canadian Tire needs to make sure their workers are paid a living wage.
He said that garment workers in Bangladesh should be paid four to five times more than they are currently earning.
The president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said that clothing workers are paid more than workers in other sectors.
Faruque Hasan said that the buyers keep talking about ethical living wages but they keep squeezing the price. They should pay higher prices so that we can pay more.
How are they respecting human rights if they don't pay a living wage?
The person is Kalpona Akter.
On Monday, the USW filed a complaint. The USW said that the complaint will have to be evaluated. The ombudsman will investigate if that happens.
The union wants CORE to recommend that Canadian Tire pay higher wages. Canadian Tire should sit down with workers in Bangladesh to figure out a way to get more money to the workers.
CORE was unavailable for a response.
The USW initially wanted to file complaints against several Canadian companies that manufacture clothes in Bangladesh, but they had to file separate complaints for each company.
The USW decided to file a complaint against Canadian Tire because they believe it has the ability to make changes.
He said that they needed to start somewhere. There are ways Canadian Tire can make a difference.
Canadian Tire sources its products from at least 30 factories in Bangladesh.
Four million women are employed in the garment sector in the country, which has 165 million people.
The last decade saw a 133 per cent increase in Bangladesh garment exports to Canada. After China, the country is the second largest source of garment imports.
The email address is nkarim@postmedia.
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