Anti-Primark Protest by War on Want

Primark protestors

War on Want staged a protest in Oxford Street on Friday 5th December against discount retailer Primark which the charity claims pays workers in Bangladesh as little as 7p an hour for 70 hour weeks.

While Primark has seen its profits rise 17% in the last year to £233 million, War on Want states that those manufacturing the company's garments in Bangladesh are suffering because of high inflation coupled with low wages. War on Want took its message first to the Oxford Street store and then to the to the annual meeting of British Associated Foods, Primark's parent company in central London. Outside the AGM, War on Want's Paul Collins, told us that a shareholder became very angry with the protestors, shouting that the company did pay a living wage. Researcher Khorshed Alam flew in from Bangladesh for the meeting, having interviewed over a hundred Bangladeshi workers. He was refused entry and instead Seb Klier spoke out at the gathering about the latest findings. "Primark claims on its ethicalprimark website that it does pay a living wage, but interviews workers reveal otherwise." says Paul Collins. "Primark ask us to name the factories but we have to protect workers anonymity, they are afraid of losing their jobs."

Primark has issued a statement in response to War on Wants Fashion Victims II report which stipulates that "Primark specifically is an ethical organisation, is committed to ethical sourcing, and seeks to improve the conditions of workers in its supply chain."

www.waronwant.org
www.ethicalprimark.co.uk