Following riots by angry workers in Bangladesh’s export garment sector, employers have been told to stop destroying the image of Bangladesh, the future of the garment industry, and the livelihoods of the millions of workers that produce their wealth.

In two days of violent unrest, over 200 factories have been destroyed and scores of vehicles have been set on fire. Two workers have died and hundreds have been injured.

Neil Kearney, general secretary of the Brussels-based International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation said, “We have repeatedly warned of the growing frustration at the payment of starvation wages, the excessive hours of work, the cheating on piece work and the falsifying of overtime rates, the abusive treatment and the appalling health and safety conditions.

“But the employers association has brushed aside the notion that the violence is the result of low wages and poor conditions, claiming that workers were ‘well paid and enjoyed good conditions’.”

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has since decided to reopen the closed garment factories and demanded full assurance of security from the government, which it blamed for its failure to provide protection to the industry.