Primark attacked over 7p wages
LONDON - War on Want, the charity that fights global poverty, is staging a protest against Primark today over research that shows its Bangladeshi workers are paid as little as 7p an hour for up to 80 hours a week.
The charity warns that Primark is ignoring rising basic living costs for employees making garments in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, who are now worse off than two years ago.
It claims that Primark is beating the recession, with profits up 17% to £233m during the 12 months ending in September, while its employees are on the minimum wage, £13.97 (1663 taka) a month, and all of them earning far less than a living wage.
War on Want will stage a protest outside Primark's flagship store in London's Oxford Street this morning with its researcher Khorshed Alam, who has flown to the UK from Bangladesh.
Campaigners from the charity and Alam will then go into the annual meeting of Primark's parent company, Associated British Foods, to speak out against its sweatshops.
The charity's report also reveals similar pay and conditions for Dhaka employees making clothes for Asda, Britain's second-largest clothing retailer by volume, and Tesco, the UK's biggest supermarket fashion chain.
War on Want's protest comes less than six months after the broadcast of Panorama's 'Primark: On the Rack' undercover report on BBC One, exposing the use of child labour to make some of the retailer's clothes.
When presented with the results, Primark sacked three of its suppliers ahead of the broadcast, which attracted 4.2m viewers.
War on Want is demanding that the British government introduce regulation to ensure overseas suppliers pay a living wage and allow exploited staff to seek justice in UK courts.
Employees calculate a worker needs £44.82 (5333 taka) a month to give their family nutritious food, clean water, shelter, clothes, education, health care and transport. Yet average workers' pay, £19.16 a month, is less than half a living wage.
Ruth Tanner, campaigns and policy director at War on Want, said: "Primark, Asda and Tesco promise a living wage for their garment makers. But workers are actually worse off than when we exposed their exploitation two years ago. The UK government must bring in effective regulation to stop British companies profiting from abuse."
Primark: wages protest
Comments
Nicola Lucas - 05/12/2008
£13.97 a month? now that IS ridiculous
Eddie Bongo - 05/12/2008
I have such anger and disgust for Primark that I sometimes question if i'm over reacting. Then i'm reminded why and I feel my feelings are just. I know other companies exploit in similar ways but for some reason Primark bares the brunt of my anger...maybe its something to do with the gloating of it customers when they come out with 300 items for £30...and they never think to ask why it's so cheap. The image of mums and daughters in matching tracksuits also comes to mind.
Nicola Forde - 08/12/2008
It's a disgrace...and the problems don't stop there. The clothes are so cheap to buy and of poor quality materials that we are living in an era of "disposable clothes". People must take responsibility for their actions. We are all looking to cut costs in these turbulent times but cheap clothes are false economy. Buy better quality from reliable suppliers and keep your clothes for longer!
Rachel - 28/02/2009
Whilst I think 7p is unacceptable, I also have to think, at least it is keeping them out of trouble, they are not having to sell their bodies in order to make ends meet. I think that although they should be paid more than the measly 7pence, what would they do with the average wage we get in the UK?