TESCO, ALDI AND ASDA ACCUSED OF PAYING POVERTY WAGES TO BANGLADESHI WORKERS

Firstly we should know about these companies as what they do and all and get a confined knowledge about these companies after that we will discuss about the unethical works done by these companies, Basically these all companies are grocery and general supermarkets.

• TESCO: Tesco is a British Multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer with headquarters in Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues the founder of Tesco is JACK COHEN.

• ALDI: Aldi is the common brand of two German family owned discount supermarket chains with over 10,000 stores in 20 countries, and Bangladesh is one of them and an estimated combined turnover of more than 50 billion.the chain was founded by brothers KARL and THEO ALBRECHT in 1946 its Headquarters are in Essen, Germany.

• ASDA: Asda Stores Ltd. trading as Asda, a British supermarket retailer, headquarters in Leeds West Yorkshire United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1949 when the supermarket owning Asquith family merged with the Associated Dairies company of Yorkshire its parent organisation Walmart. 

UNETHICAL ACTIVITY DONE BY TESCO, ALDI AND ASDA:

Tesco, Aldi and Asda have come under fire for exploiting workers in Bangladesh to produce cheap clothing. A damning investigation by the mail on Sunday alleged all three supermarkets paid low wages to workers in Bangladeshi factories leaving them unable to support their familiesPoverty wages” of 25p an hour in a factory producing Aldi polo shirts left many women unable to send their own children to school, the investigation found,“We work closely with our suppliers to ensure good working conditions and we know they pay above market averages.

We will continue to work with suppliers to improve wages and would take firm action against any kind of abuse or under-payment,” said a Tesco spokeswoman.

She added that Tesco’s local team of sourcing and ethical experts visit the factory every day to observe working conditions and talk to workers. The supermarket also monitors wage improvement plans with its strategic suppliers, who represent 80% of its sourcing from Bangladesh.An equal pay case against Asda is heading to the Supreme Court after it agreed to consider an appeal brought by the Big 4 grocer.

The Supreme Court is set to consider whether Asda shop floor workers – most of whom are women – can be compared to predominantly-male distribution centre staff for the purposes of equal pay.

Dubbed the UK’s biggest equal pay case, it was originally brought by Asda shop floor workers who are represented by law firm Leigh Day.

Over the last 10 years, Bangladesh's clothing industry has boomed, fed by the huge demand for cut-price clothes supplied by supermarkets and discount chains.

An estimated 2.5 million people work in thousands of factories here, but their wages have halved in real terms in recent years, making them one of the cheapest workforces in the world.

When faced with previous allegations that their suppliers are exploiting factory workers, Asda, Tesco and Primark have spoken of their commitment to labour rights. All three have signed up to a code of conduct which sets out basic rights for employees, including that they shall not regularly work more than 48 hours a week, that overtime shall be voluntary and not exceed 12 hours a week, and that a "living wage" should be paid. But last month, employees of factories supplying clothes to all three retailers told the Guardian that their wages were so low that, despite working up to 84-hour weeks, they struggled to provide for their families.

 Many claimed they were regularly forced to work 12-hour days, and that working through the night to finish an order was not uncommon. Workers from factories supplying all three companies also said they were refused access to trade unions and claimed that, in the last month, four colleagues had been dismissed for attempting to organise a union.She added that Tesco’s local team of sourcing and ethical experts visit the factory every day to observe working conditions and talk to workers. 

The supermarket also monitors wage improvement plans with its strategic suppliers, who represent 80% of its sourcing from Bangladesh.An equal pay case against Asda is heading to the Supreme Court after it agreed to consider an appeal brought by the Big 4 grocer.

The Supreme Court is set to consider whether Asda shop floor workers – most of whom are women – can be compared to predominantly-male distribution centre staff for the purposes of equal pay.

Dubbed the UK’s biggest equal pay case, it was originally brought by Asda shop floor workers who are represented by law firm Leigh Day.

Over the last 10 years, Bangladesh's clothing industry has boomed, fed by the huge demand for cut-price clothes supplied by supermarkets and discount chains.

An estimated 2.5 million people work in thousands of factories here, but their wages have halved in real terms in recent years, making them one of the cheapest workforces in the world.

When faced with previous allegations that their suppliers are exploiting factory workers, Asda, Tesco and Primark have spoken of their commitment to labour rights. All three have signed up to a code of conduct which sets out basic rights for employees, including that they shall not regularly work more than 48 hours a week, that overtime shall be voluntary and not exceed 12 hours a week, and that a "living wage" should be paid. But last month, employees of factories supplying clothes to all three retailers told the Guardian that their wages were so low that, despite working up to 84-hour weeks, they struggled to provide for their families.

 Many claimed they were regularly forced to work 12-hour days, and that working through the night to finish an order was not uncommon. Workers from factories supplying all three companies also said they were refused access to trade unions and claimed that, in the last month, four colleagues had been dismissed for attempting to organize a union.