Walmart: Stand Up Against Torture of Labor Leaders

As the largest buyer of Bangladeshi garments, Walmart must ensure Bangladeshi garment workers do not need to fear retaliation for speaking up for their rights. Scroll down to send a message to Walmart to stand up against the imprisonment and torture of labor advocates!

Subject:

Your Letter:

Peaceful labor advocates Kalpona Akter and Babul Akhter of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity continue to face falsified charges, brought on in part by Walmart's subcontractor. These charges include the possibility of lifetime imprisonment or death penalty. As a consumer, I am writing to urge Walmart to take immediate action to ensure the falsified criminal charges are dropped and Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity’s (BCWS) legitimate function as a labor rights defender is restored.

The poverty wages and poor working conditions, which Walmart profits from as the largest buyer of Bangladeshi garments, are the real cause of worker unrest. Given the falsified charges and the rejection of its nongovernmental organization status, it is difficult for the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity to maintain its important work of educating workers about Bangladesh labor law, International Labor Organization standards, and brands' Codes of Conduct (including Walmart's) that apply to production in Bangladesh's ready-made-garment factories.

I respectfully call on you to:

1.	Make a clear statement that Walmart will not tolerate the persisting falsified criminal charges filed by suppliers Nassa Group and Envoy Group.  Walmart should immediately cease any and all current contracts with these suppliers and publicly state that Walmart will not do business with either vendor until the charges have been dropped.

2.	Insist that the Government of Bangladesh unconditionally restore BCWS’s nongovernmental organization registration with the NGO Affairs Bureau.

I expect to hear from you shortly that you have taken immediate effective action to protect worker rights defenders in Bangladesh.  I also look forward to hearing that Walmart is taking concrete steps toward fair business practices in your relationships with suppliers in order to sustain decent working conditions and good wages.

Sincerely,