Levi’s and H&M are among the prominent global clothing brands facing production disruptions in Bangladesh.
Media reports claimed this citing garment union leader while adding this comes in the wake of several days of violent protests by garment workers demanding a nearly threefold increase in their wages.
Kalpona Akter, the president of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF), stated that “many of the country’s bigger factories, who make clothing for almost all major Western brands and retailers,” including Gap, Walmart, H&M, Zara, Inditex, Bestseller, Levi’s, Marks and Spencer, Primark, and Aldi, have been impacted by these disruptions.
However, there has been no immediate confirmation from the brands mentioned regarding the disruptions to their production in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s 3,500 garment factories play a crucial role, accounting for approximately 85 per cent of the country’s annual exports, valued at US $ 55 billion, and serving as suppliers to many leading names in the global fashion industry.
The protests have taken a toll on the industry, with dozens of factories being ransacked by striking workers, and many owners choosing to close several hundred more to prevent vandalism.
Manufacturers whose factories have been damaged are often hesitant to disclose the names of the brands they work with due to concerns about losing orders.
Meanwhile, garment workers argue that the rising cost of living has made it increasingly difficult to provide for their families even as, in response to the protests, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), representing factory owners, has offered workers a 25 per cent pay raise, but many workers consider this insufficient.