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18 Jan 2021

Bangladesh: Brands confirm partial payment of wages owed to thousands of garment workers at Sylecraft Ltd factory following protests

BHRRC

On 25 December 2020, approximately 3000-4000 garment workers staged a demonstration to protest over unpaid wages and benefits from Stylecraft Ltd factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh. The protesting workers were demanding 35% of their wages and arrears for September and October, full pay for November, overtime pay and other owed allowances. H&M, New Look, Next, River Island and UNIQLO (Fast Retailing) are named publicly as buyers from Stylecraft Ltd.

In January 2021, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited H&M, New Look, Next, River Island and Fast Retailing to respond. In their responses, H&M, Next, New Look and River Island confirmed that full wages for November had been paid and workers are due to receive full wages for December by late January. Next also said 17.5% of the outstanding wages for September and October will be paid over the coming months. Fast Retailing said it had ended its relationship with Stylecraft, with its final order being completed in August 2019. The full responses are included below.

This case is featured in BHRRC's report, Wage theft and pandemic profits: The right to a living wage for garment workers, released in March 2021.

Company Responses

Fast Retailing View Response
Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) View Response
New Look View Response
River Island View Response

Timeline