InfoAnda - Bangladeshi firms seek to shed 'sweatshop' label

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Germany posts record 2Q growth | 13 August 2010
Berry, Aubry, Martinez call truce after holiday custody brawl | | 30 November 2012
Israel swaps missile drills for earthquake rehearsal | | 22 October 2012

Depression said to ease for Japan's crown princess | 9 December 2008

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Bangladeshi firms seek to shed 'sweatshop' label

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Bangladeshi firms seek to shed 'sweatshop' label AFP - Sunday, August 23 NARSINGDI, Bangladesh (AFP) - - In the small Bangladeshi town of Narsingdi, Suria Begum sits in a small hut, a short walk from her house, with two dozen other women where she knits children's hats, mittens and blankets. ADVERTISEMENT Like 2.5 million others in the impoverished country, Suria works in the textile business, making items exported to the US and Europe, but unlike most other workers she has not had to leave her rural home for a job. "I have a five-year-old son so I can't work in Dhaka, but having this job gives my family a bit of extra money. Plus, it's nice to sit around and chat with the other workers. It's very relaxed here," the 30-year-old said. Most of Bangladesh's 4,200 garment factories, some of which come under fire from rights groups for shabby health and safety standards, are in cities like Dhaka or Chittagong, meaning workers have to move to urban areas for work. But British woman Samantha Morshed, who created the centre where Suria works and 31 other centres like it across Bangladesh, has a different vision for the country of 144 million people, 40 percent of whom live below the poverty line. "I wanted to prove that it's not impossible to create employment in rural areas in Bangladesh," says Morshed, who started her business four years ago by teaching a dozen women to knit and crochet in her living room in Dhaka. Morshed represents a growing number of businesses pushing to channel Bangladesh's cheap labour into ethical, fair trade labels. She now employs more than 3,500 women in rural areas who make 30,000 items a month that are exported to developed countries and fashionable shops, including London-based retailers JoJo Maman Bebe and TopShop. "Bangladesh has huge potential. It's not the sad, flooded, charity-prone place it's made out to be. It's full of dignified people who want the opportunity to progress," Morshed said. The textile trade is Bangladesh's biggest export earner, with garments sent abroad totalling a record 12.35 billion dollars in the year to June 30, 2009, but poor factory working conditions frequently hit the headlines. An 18-year-old woman was last year "overworked to death" in the factory where she made jeans supplied to German-based retail giant Metro Group, according to a US rights group, the National Labor Committee. Metro Group issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened" by the death and had immediately terminated its contract with the Bangladeshi supplier that used the factory. Last year Spanish fashion firm Zara forced the closure of a supplier's factory in the capital Dhaka after workers said they were being abused. According to Bangladeshi-based ECOTA Fair Trade Forum, products from its 39-member companies are worth about 29 million dollars -- or less than one percent -- of those exports. David Mayor, who owns a garment factory on the outskirts of Dhaka, set up a training centre for garment workers 18 months ago in rural northeastern Bangladesh. The three-month course teaches 12 women how to sew, as well as basic mathematics, English and life skills, and once they complete the training they get an internship in Mayor's factory, with most landing jobs there afterwards. "We wanted to be practical with the objective of giving them a job," said Mayor, originally from Spain. While on the course, workers make designer clothing pieces that are sold online and where customers -- from Japan, Canada, France and Spain -- can see the entire "DNA" of the product, including details about the woman who makes it. Run completely separately from Mayor's factory, the products have a huge profit margin, which goes back into the training centre. "We are a factory. Prices are tight. Every single cent is important. We are not an NGO, but in addition we have this social concern," Mayor said. Stories like this are encouraging, said Rodney Reed, who moved to Bangladesh three years ago to set up a consultancy firm that encourages corporate social responsibility. "If you have fit, healthy, well-paid workers they will make better products," said Reed, from Britain. "I think the private sector has the potential to solve the poverty problems here and I think there's an opportunity to have fair-trade in big factories." With signs that the runaway growth in the garment trade is beginning to slow because of the global financial crisis, Reed said Bangladesh could set itself apart from other garment-producing countries by becoming a fair-trade hub. "In the same way we see organic coffee and organic vegetables in the UK, people pay more money for products if they are environmentally sustainable," Reed said, adding that fair trade could become vital to the country's survival as a leading garment producing nation. "At the moment Bangladesh's only advantage is its cheap labour, but that may not always be the case. Someplace else will come along offering cheaper labour, most likely sub-Saharan African countries, and shops will send their orders there instead," he said. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 1 user recommend Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle New York painter barks for artAFP - Sunday, August 23 Police scour Canada for millionaire murder suspectAP - Sunday, August 23 Porn makers challenged for not mandating condomsAP - Sunday, August 23 Guitarist James Burton fails to set world recordAP - Sunday, August 23 Worldwide `Avatar' previews thrill sci-fi fansAP - Saturday, August 22 Enlarge Photo Bangladeshi women work in a garment factory in Narsingdi in July 2009. Most of Bangladesh's 4,200 garment factories, some of which come under fire from rights groups for shabby health and safety standards, are in cities like Dhaka or Chittagong, meaning workers have to move to urban areas for work. Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Egypt warns pharaohs' tombs could disappear Homes of former Porsche executives searched: report Ramadan begins on Saturday amid swine flu worries Triple gold for Bolt as Kenya trump Ethiopia New economic data set to test Wall Street bull run View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Sunday, 23 August 2009
Iran clerics oppose Ahmadinejad on women ministers
Russia dam disaster death toll rises to 66
Homes of former Porsche executives searched: report
Reporter's family reunion in Iraq is reality check
More relay woe for United States
Iraq's Maliki pledges victory amid criticism
Iran clerics oppose Ahmadinejad on women ministers | International |
Long's sportsmanship was not case of race, says son
South Sudan accuses north of arming southern civilians, militias
Iraq's Maliki pledges victory amid criticism | International |
Iraq minister suspects security forces role in blasts
Nigeria rebel group to resume attacks, ends talks | International |
Venezuelans march over schools law, police use gas | International |
Pakistan suicide bomber blows self up during raid
Official says Iranian guards kill 2 Pakistanis
Report: Pakistani Taliban choose new leader
North Korean envoys to meet South's President Lee
Report: Hakimullah new head of Pakistani Taliban
Urban schools use marketing to woo residents back
Obama to health care critics: end `phony claims'
AP NewsAlert
Post-affair Ensign gets mixed results in Nevada
4 dead in latest violence in southern Thailand
India to let landlocked Nepal use second port
Gay clergy: Where large Protestant churches stand
Prosecutor: Neb. man stole painting for abortion
China says 2 environment officials investigated
Rioting inmates set central Ky. prison ablaze
Tips for reducing the chance a dog will bite
Change of venue court cases are extremely rare
Lutheran gay clergy vote tests mainline churches
Ga. dog pack shows fine line between pet, predator
Rival Koreas meet ahead of state funeral | International |
Russia dam disaster death toll up to 69: rescuers
Smartphones drive language learning innovation
Swiss size up hole in iconic banking secrecy
Afghan polls lay hope for power of ballot box
Triple gold for Bolt as Kenya trump Ethiopia
Vatican deplores indifference to migrants after more deaths
Japan opposition wary of polls showing a landslide | International |
US notifying Red Cross of jailed militants: report
Australia sprays oil slick amid wildlife fears | International |
King calls for unity in polarized Thailand | International |
Iraqis facing more deadly attacks says foreign minister
Weaker Hurricane Bill moves towards eastern Canada | International |
Iraqis begin restoring concrete walls in Baghdad
Argentine outrage as Iran names terror suspect as minister
Apple says Google Voice app alters iPhone | Technology |
Sean Kingston album gets fans online with karaoke | Technology |
Weaker Hurricane Bill heads for US, Canada coasts
China drought leaves 5 million short of water
CIA report has new details of prisoner abuse
HK protesters demand release of Chinese dissident
N. Korea delegation meets with S. Korean president
Lawyers can question 9/11 suspect in writing
World economy on rebound, but future uncertain
State funeral for ex-SKorean President Kim begins
Water project adds to Taiwan leader's typhoon woes
FBI director outraged by Lockerbie bomber release
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,334
China arrests 15,000 drink-drivers in a week: report
Elizabeth Edwards opens furniture store in NC
King calls for unity in polarised Thailand
Global Weather-Celsius
AP sources: Internal report tells of CIA methods
NKorea leader Kim sends message to SKorea president
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Swine flu looms over global economic recovery
Global brands turn to China's young amid slump
Robin Williams says he is a work-in-progress dad | Entertainment |
Sean Kingston album gets fans online with karaoke | Entertainment |
Police scour Canada for millionaire murder suspect
Porn makers challenged for not mandating condoms
Guitarist James Burton fails to set world record
Europe's biggest jackpot finds a winner
US Evangelical Lutherans accept 'committed' gay clergy
Israel pushes Sweden to condemn 'anti-Semitic' story
Italian, French aircraft to join Greek fire effort
Germany ramps up pressure on GM over Opel
Afghan challenger says election widely rigged | International |
Pakistan Taliban name new leader but doubts remain | International |
More than 200 claims of irregularities in Afghan vote
Proud Scots feel heat over Libyan bomber's release | International |
Fresh attack hits northern Afghanistan: govt
Cuba publishes photo of fit-looking Fidel Castro | International |
Report: No sign of West Bank settlement slowdown
British military procurement flawed: report
Greek wildfire near Athens spreads, thousands flee | International |
Iraq intelligence chief retired before major blasts | International |
Settlements seen clouding Netanyahu Europe trip | International |
Egypt tries 26 men seen with Hezbollah links | International |
Madagascar's leaders committed to power-sharing | International |
South Korea holds state funeral for Kim Dae-jung
McCain refuses to consider taxes to reduce deficit
Dispute threatens talks to end Filipino rebellion
McCain: Obama must drop 'public option'
McCain: Health debate hurt by Kennedy's absence
Rare tiger killed, body stolen from Indonesian zoo
Obama vacation takeoff delayed by Hurricane Bill
US notifying Red Cross of jailed militants: report
Japan PM says forecast of election loss premature
Excited locals await Obamas at vacation spot
China legal activist freed, but may face tax case
Afghan commission: fraud filings could sway vote
Australian oil well to gush for nearly two months
New Pakistan Taliban leader ruthless
Japan PM frontrunner vows to cut public debt
Japan opposition wary of polls showing a landslide
Foreign direct investment plans in S. Korea jump
Rising poverty looms large in Japan's election
Bangladeshi firms seek to shed 'sweatshop' label
Diamond mining is not forever, SAfrica learns
Suspicion undermines DR Congo relief workers
New York painter barks for art
Europe's top tourist venues hit by economic crisis
The charm of the Mini rolls on at 50
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01