- Bangladesh plans a new wage board to review garment workers' salaries amid protests
- Workers demand a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, over double the current rate
- Protests disrupted factories, blocked roads, and led to clashes with police in key hubs
The Bangladesh government is preparing to establish a new wage board in order to review the salaries of garment workers after widespread protests over low wages forced factories to shut down, blocked major roads and triggered clashes between the demonstrators and the police.
The protests intensified on Saturday with the workers demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 Bangladeshi taka (approximately $245) which is more than double the existing minimum wage of 12,500 taka. This represents an increase of 17,500 taka or approximately 140%.
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The workers' argument is that the rising cost of living has significantly reduced their purchasing power. They cited increasing expenses on food, housing, transportation, healthcare and other essential household requirements. Demonstrators also raised concerns about job security, alleged blackmailing by factory owners, arbitrary dismissals and workplace safety.
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The dispute has raised concerns about disruption to an industry that employs about 4 million workers, generates more than 80% of Bangladesh's export earnings and supplies clothing to many leading Western brands, Reuters eported.
The demonstrations spread across several garment manufacturing hubs, including Dhaka's Mirpur, Ashulia in Savar and Kaliakoir in Gazipur. Hundreds of workers blocked a major intersection in the capital, while demonstrations in other industrial zones disrupted traffic and factory operations.
Clashes between workers and police in Ashulia injured several people, including police officers, police said. Officers reportedly used tear gas and sound grenades to disperse protesters.
Labour and Employment Minister, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, announced that the government would formally constitute the wage board on Sunday. The government intends to address workers' demands through the proposed wage review mechanism.
Chowdhury urged protestors to return to their workplaces, stating that the decision to review the wage structure addresses their principal demand. He also cautioned that continued factory closures and disruptions in production could delay export shipments and payments from international buyers, creating additional financial difficulties for the manufacturers and workers themselves.
Workers gradually cleared some roads around 2:30 pm on Saturday, although demonstrations continued at other locations until approximately 5 pm.
The immediate focus as per the current status is the formation of the wage board on Sunday. The government is expected to hold discussions with labour representatives and industry stakeholders before formally constituting the board.
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