A message from jail

Asking for a living wage landed them in jail ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   [A group of women activists take part in a protest in front of the Minimum Wage Board office in Dhaka, Bangladesh]( {NAME}, Over 100 garment workers in Bangladesh have spent *months* in squalid jails – just for asking for a wage they can live on. We can get them OUT! They make clothes for rich, popular brands like H&M and Zara, but they’re being paid poverty wages and can’t afford food, housing, or medical care. Worse, hundreds have been dragged to jail in an attempt to squash their protests. Our friends at No Sweat are working round the clock with organisers in Bangladesh to get these heroes out from behind bars and back to changing the exploitative fast fashion system. Just $25 can pay for one person’s bail! It won’t be an easy road – there’s the threat of lengthy court cases ahead to silence them. But freeing them is the first step. If we can rush our partner enough money, they can get started immediately freeing workers  – and together we can fight to change the fast fashion industry for good.  {NAME}, can you chip in to set these workers free? [Donate $3]( another amount]( Bangladesh is at the epicenter of the fast fashion system. MILLIONS of tonnes of clothing are made in Bangladesh every year - more than the yearly consumption of the whole of the UK –, landing on shiny shop floors around the world that mask the punishing conditions they were made in. Garment workers here are barely paid enough to survive. Back in November, the Bangladesh government announced a minor increase to the minimum wage but it isn’t even close to 23,000-25,000 taka ($210-$230) per month workers need to keep themselves and their families from starving. So, they took to the streets with a simple request – a wage they can live on. But they are paying a heavy price. They have been confronted with extreme violence and three people have already died at the hands of police. Factory owners responded to workers taking part in protests by viciously beating them, purposefully targeting their hands and arms that they rely on to keep making clothes. If all of us chip in just a few dollars we can start 2024 strong by freeing these brave workers and powering their fight for a fairer global fashion industry. We can’t let them spend another day in jail - chip in today and free these workers now! [Donate $3]( another amount]( Thanks to these workers making themselves heard on the streets, pressure is building on global fashion giants to commit to supporting wage increases for workers in Bangladesh – and it’s working! H&M has already written a letter acknowledging its role in supporting wage agreements, but there’s still a long way to go. {NAME}, that’s why it’s so important that we get these workers freed so they can keep holding the toxic fast fashion industry accountable. Thanks for all that you do, Miriam and the Ekō team --------------------------------------------------------------- More information: [Bangladesh garment workers fighting for pay face brutal violence and threats.]( The Guardian. 15 November 2023  [As H&M Steps Up, Bangladesh Suppliers and Workers Ask ‘Where Are the Other Brands?’.]( Sourcing Journal. 27 November 2023.  Anything extra raised will power Ekō and our campaigns worldwide fighting for people and the planet.   Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. | [Unsubscribe]( Â