This series of reports attempt to investigate and understand the complexity of Bangladesh’s RMG industry from the perspective of workers. These reports are unique because in contrast to other research projects in this field, the Worker’s Voice series does not limit itself to a specific aspect but takes a comprehensive approach. It attempts to establish a kaleidoscopic insight into the life of garment workers, those who are the pulse of this important and thriving industry. Workers’ Voice recognizes the worker as a human being and not merely as a necessary element of the RMG production process. Therefore, much space is provided within the survey to capture the workers’ perceptions, feelings, plans and aspirations.
The first Worker’s Voice report was published in 2013, in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza collapse. Using large scale surveys and face-to-face interviews, this report got input from over 1,200 workers in 250 factories. The second Worker’s Voice report was published in 2014. This report focused on the implementation of the new minimum wage that was announced in the end of 2013. The third Worker’s Voice report was published in 2016 and it focused on issues such as workers’ perception of their workplace and working conditions, driving forces for joining the RMG sector, exposure to abusive behavior at the workplace, housing and activities outside the garment industry, among others. This report surveyed more than a thousand garment workers.
The next iteration of the Worker’s Voice report is planned for 2019.
Workers Voice Report on implementation of minimum wages – July 2014