This project promoted workers’ rights through promoting decent working conditions in the RMG sector. Focusing particularly on women workers, Awaj Foundation aimed for three objectives through this project:

• Develop capacity of workers to self-organize so that they are able to claim their rights and reduce discrimination against them
• Enhanced leadership and bargaining skills of the RMG worker’s leaders so that they are represented in different committees within factories
• Improve accountability to ensure decent working conditions for RMG sector workers, such as leave facilities, payment on time, annual pay increase, maternity benefits, worker ID card, standard working hours and payment for overtime.

The project was conducted in 30 RMG factories in Dhaka and Chittagong Division. Total beneficiaries of the project were over 35,000 RMG workers. Achievements of the project include:

• 400 women workers were able to claim over Tk 2,172,647 (around USD 26,000) as maternity benefits
• Workers were able to successfully demand implementation of legal minimum wage in 13 factories
• 3,238 workers were able to recover Tk. 13,662,989 (around USD 163,000) as severance pay from the factories
• 168 cases were filed in the labour court to claim rights of workers
• 15 new trade unions and 5 participation committees were formed
• 25 wrongfully dismissed workers were reinstated into their jobs