Thousands of garment workers who produce items for top Western fast fashion brands protested against unpaid wages in Bangladesh’s streets Monday, saying they were more afraid of starving than contracting coronavirus.

Bangladesh’s apparel factories account for some 84 percent of the country’s $40 billion export sector, which is facing its worst crisis in decades after retailers including H&M, Walmart and Tesco canceled orders because of the pandemic.

Protesting workers say many factories have not paid them after the orders were cut.

Workers shouted slogans such as “we want our wages” and “break the black hands of the owners” as they blocked roads despite a nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of the deadly disease.

“We are afraid of the coronavirus. We heard a lot of people are dying of this disease,” protesting worker Sajedul Islam, 21, told AFP.