I had the opportunity to speak with some Bangladeshi labor organizers who help workers organize unions in the textile factories there. It sounds like they are doing some great work[0][1]. Organizers' salaries are apparently well under five hundred USD per month, and they are on the front lines of a struggle against the global wage race to the bottom and unsafe working conditions. There are some organizations I've worked with in the US that have connections with some of them, and I am strongly considering to these groups in Bangladesh.
The main question is whether or not this will simply lead to these jobs being pushed to even poorer countries with even lower wages -- though that would probably help those poorer countries.
The main question is whether or not this will simply lead to these jobs being pushed to even poorer countries with even lower wages -- though that would probably help those poorer countries.
0: http://www.ranaplaza-arrangement.org/ Compensation to victims of the Rana Plaza factory disaster.
1: http://www.voanews.com/content/labor-unions-bangladesh-garme... "Since 2010, the number of active garment industry unions grew from seven to 200. They represent some 150,000 workers."