Complaints of maltreatment have come to surface this week for a Canadian activewear company. Lululemon Athletica Inc. has stated that it is investigating one of its factories in Bangladesh after claims of women being abused and overworked. A more basic pair of leggings from Lululemon is roughly $100-120. A pair with any type of design or special color may be considerably more. That is why it is extremely outrageous for these workers to be paid only $110 a month. With Bangladesh having a national minimum wage of $95 a month, the company has managed to get away with grossly underpaying their employees for their hard work and forced overtime. Bangladesh is one of the largest suppliers of clothes to the western hemisphere, second only to China. However, factory owner Youngone Corp, claims that the factory in question currently does not have any orders planned. Many locals were extremely irritated with the case investigation, claiming that, “The truth, correctness and credibility of the information provided by the workers (respondents) was not verified which makes the report flawed.” This article was all around shocking for me to read and analyze, mostly because I found this article by accident. On the other hand, I also use Lululemon products, and while they are a bit pricey, however, they hold their value well and can take a beating. I think that even though they are pricey, I would say that the price reflects the value of the product. While it is great that Lululemon actually addressed their situation in Bangladesh, I am willing to bet that nothing will be acted upon. Especially since the factory in question is not an all too common center of production. I think that if this case is acted upon in any way that it favors women, it will be a huge step towards equality in Bangladesh.
