Only one per cent out of garment factories surveyed in Bangladesh have trade unions while 55 per cent don’t even have any participation committees. Some 643 factories were surveyed from January to March 2015. Of these, 356 are members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and 129 are members of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) while 158 others don’t have affiliation with either of the two trade bodies.

However, 53 per cent of BGMEA factories and 43 per cent of BKMEA factories have participation committees. Participation committees comprise representatives from both factory owners and workers that, according to labor leaders, actually work in favor of owners.

Some 3,740 garment factories are now operating across the country. In 2013, the government amended the Bangladesh Labor Law, 2006, simplifying trade union formation for garment workers to bargain for their rights, amid pressure from local and international arenas, especially after the Rana Plaza building collapse.

Since then, more than 300 new trade unions have got government registration in the last two years, raising the total number to 427. Non-cooperation from owners, fear of losing jobs and some legal complexities are major reasons for the relatively low number of unions in the country’s readymade garment sector that employs some four million workers.