Before we buy the next t-shirt in Poland...

We must become aware about sweatshop and brutalization of labor in some of the most needy countries in the world.

Bangladesh is one of the biggest hub for Polish (and European) ready made garment buyers. However we need to buy ethically made cloths otherwise we are only encouraging slavery further in this world.

Along with Clean Cloth and Fair Wear (established in Europe), there is a research firm on labor and industrial issues based in Bangladesh known as the RISE Society;

fanpage: facebook.com/rise.society
blog: risebd.wordpress.com
website: risebd.com (under construction)
email: tunazzinasahaly@yahoo; sahaly@risebd.com

These guys are awesome with their information network and statistics. It is raised by people who I've known from a long time. They've worked in some of the best projects which helped change the world for millions of such workers.

I have been involved in the RMG sector myself and went to India and Bangladesh representing Polish buyers. The conditions are sometimes really fishy when it comes to ethics and I recommend RISE Society to anyone who would like to check the firm's standards and reputation before coming into any kind of agreement with them.

LTB.

This site maybe beneficial for you £odz:
avaaz.org/en/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avaaz


yeah but people dont really give a rats ass about that, all they care about is the profit and who can blame them with a price tag on everything.

Yeah. I know about Awaaz, its a Trade Union kind of a thing, but its not really helpful if you intend to understand what you are buying, rather than perhaps to believe a few people who say that are representing the workers. There is another Trade Union known as NGWF and operates in the same country - Bangladesh.

The interest part here is that their operations are practically non-coordinated and if less helpless to cosumers than what firms like RISE Society would offer. There was a certain man named Khorshed Alam, a good friend of mine, and he had many connections with European Researchers and Labor right people. Khorshed used to fund and cultivate these Trade Unions including Awaaz. I have purchased from Bangladesh quite a few times and have also worked with Brands when I did a job for one of them, I basically know how that country works.

Since Khorshed died, his firm dissolved (it was basically a one man show thing). The best of whatever he had and other real good folks joined up to launch RISE Society, and it looks very promising to me. They have a good set up, and this is what the labor right folks and researchers need to have a greater insight in Bangladesh.

More than just to view "truth", it becomes very important to know "unbiased" truth. The Trade Union, Manufacturer or Brand are all players at separate ends of the rope. Its best to get someone from outside of this game to work in favor of getting information out, thus a replacement of Khorshed Alam was neccessary in Bangladesh for conducting good researches with internal sources.

The biggest problems Brands or buyers of garment from these places face is the challenge that all nation in their early industrial period face "lack of ethics and sweatshops". The recent factory fires in Bangladesh saw no brand coming forward to help them. The Manufacturers allied with some greedy Union Leaders and paid them some money, called the press, and informed the world that the victims have been compensated. This is not what the end user deserve. The end user needs to know the whole truth and only then we can have a fair trade and a better world.

We need the new industrialized nations to manufacture for developed economies which are more service sector oriented. However, we have to ensure fairness, otherwise humanity pays a big price which can have dire consequences.

I still recommend Research Initiative for Social Equity Society (RISE Society) in Bangladesh above anything. I know that the people in there can really do their job well.