At the Clean&Unique "Passion" meeting last thursday Kalpona Akter from Bangladesh, former worker in a textile factory, told us her story. Kalpona has been working for years in a textile factory and is now working for the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity. When Kalpona was 12,5 years old she started working in the textile factory to support her family. She started with a salary of €3,- per month. She told us during the meeting that there were lots of days, when she was making more than 20 hours. On these days she did not even have time to go home and sleep or shower between working days.

There was only one toiletcard for fifty people, which the supervisor kept. When someone needed to go to the toilet permission had to be asked from the supervisor. Nowadays the minimum wage in textile factories in Bangladesh rose to about €20,- a month. Ninety percent of the companies pays it's workers in time, and cases of physical and sexual harassment decreased in recent years. So some change luckily came already. This is achieved because workers and consumers wanted this Kalpona explained us. In 2006 there was an enormous rise from workers in Bangladesh, as at the same time from the other side consumers where putting pressure on western brands. But more change is still needed Kalpona assures us. And help of consumers is very much needed. Boycotting products from Bangladesh will not help the people in Bangladesh, as 76% of the export products in Bangladesh are garments, Kalpona explained. But it does help if we keep putting pressure on the brands and companies, who buy and produce their products in Bangladesh, to take their responsibility. Kalpona is now telling her story when she is travelling through Europe to inform consumers here about the working circumstances in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh she educates workers regarding their rights and encourages them to join labour parties. We were very much impressed by Kalpona's story and her as a person. Let us all give her a hand and wonder where and how are garments are made when we buy them.