Bangladesh garment workers strike for double wages

Garment workers in Bangladesh returned to the streets on Monday for a third consecutive day, demanding a minimum wage increase that would more than double their current earnings. The demonstrations followed a government announcement on Sunday establishing a six-member wage board to review the sector's pay rates. In the Gazipur area of northern Dhaka, protesters blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway and set fire to several vehicles. Clashes with police were reported in the neighboring Mirpur district.

The current minimum wage stands at 12,500 taka, or 102 dollars. Workers are demanding a raise to 30,000 taka, or 241 dollars. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association stated that the demonstrations disrupted operations at 529 factories on Sunday, affecting nearly a million workers. The government convened an emergency meeting of top officials on Sunday, while Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed met with factory owners on Monday to discuss the new minimum wage through negotiations.

Laili Begum, a 37-year-old sewing operator at Virtual Bottoms Limited in Ashulia, participated in a protest on Sunday in the Jamgora part of the industrial area. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd and arrested dozens of participants. Begum earns approximately 15,000 taka, or 121 dollars, per month, which can rise to 18,000 to 20,000 taka with overtime. She stated that her 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son dropped out of school earlier this year because she could no longer afford their education.

"We can barely afford one proper meal a day," Begum said. "Yesterday was the same. This is how we survive now." She added that her son is so thin that every rib in his chest is visible. Begum pays 3,500 taka, or 28 dollars, for a single room shared with her mother and children. She burns discarded paper to cook because she cannot afford a gas cylinder, which costs about 2,200 taka, or 18 dollars.

Rasel Khan, a 30-year-old worker in Ashulia, earns 18,000 to 20,000 taka monthly including overtime. He supports his wife, child, mother, and younger brother. Khan has accumulated a debt of 100,000 taka, or 805 dollars, to cover basic living costs. "It is impossible to support a family on this income anymore," he said. Official data showed annual inflation at 8.34 percent in September, with food prices rising 7.22 percent and non-food expenses increasing 9.30 percent since the last wage revision in December 2023.

Zahid Hussain, a former lead economist at the World Bank’s Dhaka office, noted that persistent inflation over the past five years has eroded the purchasing power of low-paid workers. He observed that a recent salary hike for government employees created a demonstration effect among private-sector workers. The current three-year wage review period ends in December, following a labor law amendment that reduced the review cycle from five years to three.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman met with top government officials on Sunday. Labour Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury urged workers to resume work, stating the wage board would begin deliberations shortly. Babul Akhter, a workers’ representative on the board, called for the new wages to take effect with January 2027 salaries. He also demanded the release of arrested workers and the withdrawal of cases against them.

Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest apparel exporter after China, supplying brands such as H&M, Zara, and Walmart. The sector accounts for more than 80 percent of the country's export earnings, which reached 39 billion dollars last financial year. Sheikh Hossain Muhammad Mustafiz, an official at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said fair wages must balance with the ability to compete in the international market. He stated that international brands must contribute through fair pricing to protect workers' livelihoods.