With over 1,100 casualties, the easily preventable disaster was the worst single incident in terms of death toll in the history of the garment industry. However, it is far from the only such instance in the global apparel industry, in which multinational manufacturers and retailers "race to the bottom," seeking contractors with the lowest costs and quickest turnaround, leading to poverty wages, repression of worker rights, and dangerous factory conditions.

Crowdfunded, Sramik Awaaz, subtitled in English, explores the lives, work, and organizing efforts of Bangladesh’s garment workers. Through interviews carried out in 2014 and 2015, and filming through 2016, the film chronicles the barriers faced by the mostly female workers at home, at work, and in life. These stories suggest policy prescriptives for improving the rights of workers in Bangladesh and many of the issues raised resonate for workers around the world, including low-wage workers in the US and Europe.

Join the conversation on April 24th using hashtags #workersvoices and #lawatmargins.

This event is part of Law@theMargins contemporaneous screenings of the film with screenings in New York and other cities. If your organization is interested in hosting a screening of Sramik Awaaz: Workers' Voices, contact chaumtoli [at] lawatthemargins.com. 

To watch the trailer, click here.

Co-sponsors: Institute for Policy Studies, Law@theMargins, International Labor Rights Forum, South Asia Labor Watch.