International apparel companies attend Dhaka Apparel Summit following previous boycott

London - H&M, Inditex, C&A, Next, VF Corporation, Tchibo and Gap, seven leading fashion retailers who previously boycotted the Dhaka Apparel Summit in response to concerns regarding the Bangladesh government crackdown on trade unions, participated in the event on Saturday following the release of detained workers and trade unionists.

The seven leading international apparel companies, together with The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) originally pulled out as key speakers and participants from the 2017 Summit, organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) last week following increasing worries concerning the explorations and persecuting of garment workers in the region. Their boycott from the Summit would likely have an sizeable impact, as together these apparel companies represent billions of dollars in trade for the Bangladesh apparel industry - currently 80 percent of the country's exports.

However, following news that the 35 Bangladeshi unionists and workers arrested since last December were now released, ETI issued a statement which said representatives, together with its Executive Director Peter McAllister, would be attending the summit. A press release signed by AKM Fazlur Rahman, secretary of the BGMEA added that all international brands companies mentioned, including H&M and Inditex, had reconfirmed their participation following the detainees release.

The Dhaka Apparel Summit boycott was originally linked to an global labor campaign started by the Clean Clothes Campaign and Labour behind the Label, following the repercussions of a strike that took place in the Ashuia region in December. After garment workers gathered together to call for better wages and treatment, 35 union leaders, organisers and workers were arrested and many of them wrongfully detained in jail for over 8 weeks. While most had been released on bail since the arrests, in response to international pressure, they still faced criminal charges. In addition, 1500 workers were fired and local authorities shut down numerous trade unions following the protests.

IndustriALL Global Union, General Secretary Valter Sanches celebrated the governments decision to release the remaining detainees. "We have seen an incredible show of global solidarity and this is an important victory for garment workers in Bangladesh, sending a strong message to the country's industry to enter into a constructive dialogue with the trade unions,” said Sanches. "The issue that sparked the crackdown on unions at the end of last year still remains. We will continue to support the fight for higher wages and will closely monitor the situation until all charges are dropped."

“Around the world, we have seen an effective global solidarity with protests in dozens of major cities across the globe. From Kathmandu to New York, people stood up to demand that Bangladesh respects human and trade union rights ," added U NI Global Union General secretary Philip Jennings . " We welcome the release of the imprisoned unionists and hope we can begin to turn the page on Bangladesh’s aggressive crackdown on labour. However, we must remain on guard – the message to Bangladesh is to respect labour rights.”