In a recent statement, the Unified Textile, Weaving, and Leather Workers Union (BİRTEK-SEN) expressed unwavering solidarity with the tens of thousands of textile workers in Bangladesh who have been engaged in a weeks-long struggle for fair wages, facing brutal repression resulting in the loss of four lives at the hands of the police.

THE ONGOING STRUGGLE IN BANGLADESH

Since October, textile workers in Bangladesh, the second-largest producer of ready-made garments globally, have been steadfastly demanding a living wage that can sustain a humane existence. In the statement, BİRTEK-SEN emphasized the dire situation of these workers, depicting Bangladesh as a cheap labour haven created by international textile giants. The statement acknowledged the courageous rebellion of hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi workers against this exploitative system, primarily orchestrated by international conglomerates dominating the textile and ready-made garment industries.

PARALLEL STRUGGLES IN TURKEY

Drawing parallels, the union outlined the stark similarities between the conditions faced by workers in Bangladesh and Turkey. The narrative highlighted the sinister practices of major corporations that exploit cheap labour, shifting production to countries like Turkey and Bangladesh, thereby subjecting workers to a relentless race to the bottom under abysmal wages and inhumane conditions. Textile workers in Turkey, facing threats of unemployment if they demand better conditions, are ensnared in the same exploitative system that their Bangladeshi counterparts are resisting.

INTERNATIONAL EXPLOITATION CHAIN

The statement exposed the intricate web of exploitation, with international conglomerates and local collaborators at one end, and governments serving these interests and local business magnates at the other. The exploitative conditions that Bangladeshi workers are rebelling against were identified as the very conditions workers in Turkey are gradually being ensnared in.

THE URGENCY OF CLASS SOLIDARITY

Emphasizing the urgent need for international unity, the union underscored the shared fate of workers across borders. The struggle in Bangladesh, according to the statement, serves as a beacon illustrating that the emancipation of workers internationally hinges on cultivating international unity and solidarity. The text stressed that the conditions of poverty, hunger, and the inability to meet basic needs while a few accumulate immense wealth are shared experiences of both workers in Bangladesh and Turkey.

In conclusion, BİRTEK-SEN saluted the honorable struggle of Bangladeshi textile workers, extending their solidarity on behalf of the workers in Turkey, especially those within their sector. The union urged workers worldwide to take inspiration from the Bangladeshi workers' rebellion, declaring that the path to securing the future of the global working class lies in the expansion of the class struggle and the establishment of a united front against exploitative forces. (EVRENSEL DAILY)