British retail giant Primark has suspended business ties with some garment factories in Bangladesh, which terminated some workers for their alleged involvement in agitations demanding a wage hike. Of the 427 workers whose jobs were terminated, 382 were facing legal charges filed by factory owners.

Primark wants withdrawal of cases filed against the workers and clearing all their legal dues. This includes remunerating any affected workers the compensation they are legally entitled to and confirmation of the withdrawal of legal proceedings against workers.

Though Primark has many vendors in Bangladesh, Primark does not own any factories. About 98 per cent of the factories making products for Primark also manufacture for other brands. To make it on to Primark’s approved factory list, each factory is vetted to internationally-recognised standards. Primark says there is no forced or compulsory labor in any form, including bonded, trafficked, or prison labor. Workers are not required to lodge deposits or their identity papers with their employer and are free to leave their employer after reasonable notice. It goes on to say that workers have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively and that workers’ representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace.