A qualitative study of the working conditions in the readymade garment industry and the impact on workers’ health and wellbeing

Prevalence and risk factors of physical and psychological health among readymade garment workers in Bangladesh

Objective. Poor health outcomes of Bangladeshi readymade garment (RMG) workers tend to be associated with a variety of occupational factors. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, the physical and psychological health outcomes of Bangladeshi RMG workers. Methods. Responses to a cross-sectional survey from a convenience sample of 411 adult Bangladeshi RMG workers (mean age = 26.24 years; SD 6.40 years; female = 80%) were analysed using bivariate and multivariate (logistic regression models) analyses. Results. More than half of the participants reported headaches (61.6%) and colds/flu (51.3%), followed by fever (37.2%), diarrhoea (32.8%), bodily pain (29.9%) and respiratory infections (20.9%). For psychological health, stress (69.1%), anxiety (66.2%) and boredom (64.5%) were most prevalent, followed by sleeplessness (51.3%), depression (48.2%) and fear (34.3%). RMG workers from the factories located in Chattogram (a peripheral region compared to Dhaka) reported poorer physical and psychological health outcomes than those working in factories in Dhaka (the capital city of Bangladesh). Overall, compared to males, female RMG workers were more likely to be vulnerable to both physical and psychological health outcomes. Conclusion. Improvement in workplace conditions and safety programmes is needed to safeguard the overall health outcomes of Bangladeshi RMG workers.

Preventative health assessments and indigenous people of Australia: a scoping review

Given that Indigenous populations globally are impacted by similar colonial global legacies, their health and other disaprities are usually worse than non-indigenous people. Indigenous peoples of Australia have been seriously impacted by colonial legacies and as a result, their health has negatively been affected. If Indigenous health and wellbeing are to be promoted within the existing Australian health services, a clear understanding of what preventive health means for Indigenous peoples is needed. The aim of this scoping review was to explore the available literature on the uptake/engagement in health assessments or health checks by Indigenous Australian peoples and to determine the enablers and barriers and of health assessment/check uptake/engagement. Specifically, we aimed to: investigate the available evidence reporting the uptake/engagement of health checks/assessments for Australian Indigenous; assess the quality of the available evidence on indigenous health checks/assessments; and identify the enablers or barriers affecting Indigenous persons' engagement and access to health assessment/health checks. A systematic search of online databases (such as Cinhl, Scopus, ProQuest health and medicine, PubMed, informit, google scholar and google) identified 10 eligible publications on Indigenous preventive health assessments. Reflexive thematic analysis identified three major themes on preventive health assessments: (1) uptake/engagement; (2) benefits and limitations; and (3) enablers and barriers. Findings revealed that Indigenous peoples' uptake and/or engagement in health assessments/check is a holistic concept varied by cultural factors, gender identity, geographical locations (living in regional and remote areas), and Indigenous clinical leadership/staff's motivational capacity. Overall, the results indicate that there has been improving rates of uptake of health assessments by some sections of Indigenous communities. However, there is clearly room for improvement, both for aboriginal men and women and those living in regional and remote areas. In addition, barriers to uptake of health asessments were identified as length of time required for the assessment, intrusive or sensitive questions and shame, and lack of access to health services for some. Indigenous clinical leadership is needed to improve services and encourage Indigenous people to participate in routine health assessments.

The Paradoxical Impacts of the Minimum Wage Implementation on Ready-made Garment (RMG) Workers: A Qualitative Study

There is no regular mandated increase in minimum wages for workers employed in the Bangladesh ready-made garment (RMG) industry. Workers in the past have relied on optional bonuses added to their monthly incomes to supplement their wages. However, a new minimum wage implemented in January 2019 in the Bangladesh RMG sector increased wages for many workers who are known to work under poor and exploitative working conditions. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with fifteen currently employed RMG workers (female: 13, male: 2), which led to data saturation. The participants were purposively recruited from both export processing zone (EPZ) and non-EPZ factories located in Dhaka and Chattogram, the two largest cities of Bangladesh where the majority of RMG factories are situated. Transcribed interviews were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that working hours, production targets, work pressure, and workplace abuse have an impact on workers’ health and well-being. In line with the Marxist notion of the “accumulation of capital”, we argue that due to the profit maximization mindset of RMG owners and international brands, workers have not received the potential benefit of the newly implemented minimum wage as their conditions have been changed in other ways to offset the increase in salary. The article contributes to understanding how factory owners’ profit maximization mindset dispossessed workers from receiving the real benefits of the newly implemented minimum wage and forced them to continue working within exploitative working environments. The study shows that the impact of minimum wages on poverty reduction is unlikely and outline the need for RMG labour market reform.