Bangladesh forms wage board as garment protests turn violent
The government will review pay after workers demanded 30,000 taka a month and factory closures threatened export shipments, officials said.
- On Sunday, Nov 1, Bangladesh announced a six-member wage board to review garment workers' pay after widespread protests shut factories. Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury urged employees to return to work, saying the government addressed their key demand.
- Workers in the South Asian nation are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka , more than double the current 12,500 taka, citing rising costs of food, housing, transport, and healthcare eroding their purchasing power.
- Saturday's protests forced owners to shut 25 to 30 factories in Ashulia, a key manufacturing hub. The industry employs about 4 million workers, generates more than 80% of Bangladesh's export earnings, and supplies many leading Western brands.
- Despite the announcement, thousands of garment workers staged fresh demonstrations on Sunday, blocking highways in Gazipur. Officers used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters, with clashes injuring several people, including police officers.
- Manufacturers warn the sector faces mounting challenges, including rising production costs and energy shortages. Chowdhury cautioned that prolonged disruptions could delay export shipments and payments from international buyers, creating difficulties for manufacturers and workers alike.
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20 Articles
Bangladesh forms wage board as garment protests turn violent
Bangladesh announced a six-member wage board on Sunday to review garment workers' pay and urged employees to return to work, but protests demanding higher wages continued across major industrial areas, disrupting transport and factory operations.
The government and factory owners are to form a committee on Sunday to negotiate with them. "The issue of establishing a wage committee has been resolved. There will be no more problems," Sakhawat Hossain Chowdhury, government advisor for labor and employment, said at a press conference. The committee, consisting of government representatives, textile factory owners, and workers, is to negotiate the new minimum wage. Textile workers currently ea…
Bangladesh announced the formation of a committee to review the wages of garment workers following protests demanding a minimum of $102 to $245 per month, amid the closure of factories and concerns over exports of a sector that provides more than 80% of the country ' s revenues.
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