Bangladesh garment workers back on strike

Thousands of Bangladeshi clothing workers making garments for top global brands went on strike again yesterday and clashed with police as protests over low wages entered a second week. Police said water cannon and teargas were fired to disperse crowds of striking workers in Savar, a garment centre outside the capital Dhaka. Police director Sana Shaminur Rahman said: “So far, 52 factories have shut down operations.” Bangladesh is dependent on garments made by millions of low-paid staff in factories. About 80 per cent of its export earnings come from clothing sales abroad, with retailers H&M, Primark, Walmart, Tesco and Aldi among the main buyers.