These include harassment and intimidation of workers who seek trade union rights or other basic rights at work, and interference and threats by employers, often with connivance from the government on which they exert pressure. Women are widely discriminated against, and child laborers constitute 12 percent of the working population. Health and safety standards are ignored and there are many life-threatening fires in the garment sweatshops. Unions are not protected against employer interference and many union members are victimized. In fact, trade union activity is only barely tolerated by the government, which often seems to be acting on the behalf of the employers who threaten to withdraw investment if workers demand their rights.
Strikes particularly provoke government and employers' ire.
They can be banned at any time if they are considered prejudicial to the national interest or involve a public utility, and can be banned if they last more than 30 days. The 1974 Special Powers Act is used to detain trade unionists without charge. Many of the formal restrictions on trade union activity center on registration, and the role of the Registrar. The Registrar also has wide power to interfere in internal union affairs. A recent NGO study of the textile, clothing, electronics component and leather industries in the zones reported that workers suffered from sexual harassment and abuse, physical abuse, and substandard safety conditions.