This report focuses on violations of workers’ right to freedom of association in the four target countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It examines the different ways in which workers are adversely affected by the restrictions on the right to freedom of association by states and by their employers. It addresses the legal and administrative burdens states have placed on workers trying to organize to defend their rights, and the harassment and intimidation they face from factory owners. It also highlights the failure of states to promote the rights of garment workers, and the failure of states to protect these workers from antiunion abuse, harassment and violence by employers. It touches on the role of fashion brands and retailers in failing to support garment workers’ rights to freedom of association, and the impact on workers of the long-standing, daily denial of their rights.
