Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers have been protesting for owed wages for weeks.

Workers at TNZ Apparels make garments for companies like Woolworths, Aldi and Just Group. The TNZ website proudly notes this https://tnzbd.com/clients/

Woolworths and Aldi have also included TNZ on their lists provided to https://opensupplyhub.org/

The Just Group, now owned by Myer, includes brands like Just Jeans, JayJays, Portmans and Dotti.

Workers are owed three months wages and festival payments for the recent Eid festival.

When workers and their unions protested, they were beaten on the streets.

In solidarity with Bangladeshi unions the Garment Workers Liberation Movement (GWLM) and Garment Workers Unity Forum (GWUF), we are rallying at 1pm tomorrow 8 April 2025 outside Myer Melbourne in the Bourke Street mall before moving to other sites such as Melbourne Central.

We are calling for the immediate intervention of the Australian retailers

We are also calling for the Australian Government to intervene to ensure workers can organise into genuine trade unions. This means Garment Workers Unity Forum Ashulia President, Khorshed Alam, must be released from jail and workers must not be beaten for exercising their right to protest.

The rally tomorrow is in solidarity with actions this afternoon in Bangladesh.

The rally is co-hosted by RAFFWU and Australia Asia Worker Links.

In January, Josh Cullinan and Michael Johnstone of RAFFWU and AAWL travelled to Bangladesh to meet with garment workers and their unions and hear their stories firsthand.

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Quotes attributable to Josh Cullinan, Secretary of the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU)

“Woolworths, Aldi and Myer must stop the beatings and attacks on workers in their supply chain. They must immediately ensure every worker is paid the wages they are owed.”

“These workers are paid the lowest wages in the world – less than $5 per day for working long days in horrible conditions.”

“Woolworths, Aldi and Myer make huge profits on the backs of these workers.”

“Every worker deserves living wages, safer workplaces and secure jobs.”

“As the retail workers who sell these garments, we demand the clothes we sell not be stained with the blood and tears of workers in other parts of the world.”

“The oppression faced by workers and their unions in Bangladesh means our retailers have a special duty of care and they must intervene now.”

“We also call on the Australian Government to intervene and ensure every part of supply chains that see garments land on our shores guarantees workers and their unions are safe and free.”

“Khorshed Alam must be released from the Bangladeshi jail in which he has been held for months.”

Media Enquiries: Josh Cullinan, 0416 241 763

Facebook event for the rally: https://www.facebook.com/events/689116813672181