Thursday, April 26, 2007

After smallholders collapse

This is what happens when rural societies are destroyed instead of being supported. This is what happens when the Market establishes its rule on food production. This is what happens when large industrial farming swallows smallholders who have to re-skill and find jobs elsewhere. Do you know what they call GAP clothings in France: Gratuit A Produire-GAP (Free to Produce).

"Welcome to Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. These women work 10-hour days or more, making clothes in one of the sweatshop capitals of the world. I had come to find where the jeans I paid £9 (US$18) for in a British store came from. They came from women like these.

Aisha hems trousers, Akhi sews collars, and Miriam puts in zip fasteners. Day in and day out. "It's boring," said Akhi. "Officially, we get one day off a week, but if there is extra work we don't get it." Sometimes they are forced to work all night to complete an order.

The garment industry earns 80% of Bangladesh's exports. But the women earn just 1660 taka a month, which is a bit under US$1 a day, or 5 British pence an hour. "

By the way, the workers situation is the same in the Free Industrial Zones of Jordan, where garments are produced for a number of trans national companies, by...Bengladeshi workers who complain from the same type of mistreatment as in this article.

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