Work Life / Bangladeshi Garment Workers Clash With Police Over Wage Protest

Bangladeshi Garment Workers Clash With Police Over Wage Protest

Work Life Nov 17, 2023

by Mehak Kapoor

It’s been a month since the garment factory workers of Dhaka Bangladesh walked off the jobs to protest their living wages. Now the police have taken a sterner hand in response to the increasing violent nature of these walkouts. We take a closer look at what exactly is happening in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has officially informed American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) to increase garment worker monthly salaries by 25% to only $90 USD instead of the $208 USD, the amount originally workers demanded.

BGMEA, is arguing that higher fuel prices are increasing production costs. The BGMEA is also arguing that Western companies likes of, Zara, H&M, and others are offering less, making it difficult to increase salaries. The exploitation of Bangladesh garment industry workers involves in unfair practices and paying the suppliers below the cost of production.

Bangladeshi Garment Workers Clash With Police Over Wage Protest: Over 11,0000 garment workers have shut down 350 factories to protest unfair living conditions and wages. Photo Credit: www.instagram.com/cleanclothescampaign

Did You Know?

Bangladesh is the second-largest garment producer after China and employs 4 million workers. There are nearly 3,500 factories, filled with workers who are mostly women. Bangladesh’s garment export is valued at $55 billion USD, with the biggest markets being the U.S. and Europe.

Against that backdrop, the garment factory worker’s monthly wage is at a miniscule $75 USD which is not enough for one’s family in the rising inflation. According to The Guardian, Bangladesh has one of the lowest minimum wages for garment workers in the world, which has remained set at 8,000 taka (£60) since 2018.

To accommodate the issue of salaries, thousands of garment factory workers have been protesting in Dhaka thus closing 300 factories during this strike which is now heading into its full month. where

Violent protests demanding better pay erupted last month, with at least three workers killed and more than 70 factories ransacked or damaged since, according to police. There were 300 factories closed due to the strike. The police said violence broke out in the industrial city of Gazipur where approximately 6,000 workers walked out of their plants and staged protests. At least three deaths over the past two weeks. On Saturday November 1th, another 150 garment factories have been shuttered “indefinitely” due to the expanding protests. This lead the police to confront the protesters charging nearly 11,000 of them in connection with violent protests.

“They torched a bus. We fired tear gas to disperse them,” Gazipur industrial police unit chief Sarwar Alam told the AP news agency.

One of the factory garment workers spoke with AP, stating, “How can the people live their lives while the price of everything is this much? How can the people afford it and live their lives? Doesn’t the government understand these things? Why do the workers have to make demands?”

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A post shared by Clean Clothes Campaign (@cleanclothescampaign)

In speaking with The Guardian, another protester remarked, “the leggings I make retail for
more than my entire month’s salary,” while another with young children who did not want to
be named added “to us, huge profits are being made on our backs. Even the 23,000 taka we are asking for
wouldn’t be enough, but it would offer some kind of relief. Why should my children go hungry?”

Rojina Akter, said her wages did not cover even basic food costs, and that she felt desperate as costs keep rising.
“I despise every moment at the factory because of the harsh conditions and harassment, but with rising
inflation the wage I earn is insufficient. Many times, I’ve had to sneak into fields on my way home from
work to hunt for vegetables to feed my children. Starvation is next.”

What Are The Designers Saying?

With ongoing ruckus and clashes, eighteen brands including H&M, Levi’s, GAP, Puma, and Abercrombie
& Fitch sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh last month requesting peaceful negotiations.

“Ideally this wage level, which in Bangladesh informs the calculation of all wage levels, would be
reviewed annually, not every 5 years. Ensuring timely reviews and as needed, increases in these levels, is
a critical part of the suite of better buying practices that responsible brands are deploying,” said Nate
Herman, Senior Vice President of Policy, at American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFP) in a statement to CNN.

Representatives from H&M told CNN that it recognizes “the important role we play to facilitate the payment of
living wages through responsible purchasing practices,” in Bangladesh. Levi Strauss & Co, meanwhile, said in a statement that it has “encouraged the Government Bangladesh to establish a fair, credible and transparent process for regular minimum wage setting.”

Is This Good Enough?

Monnujan Sufian, State Minister for Labor and Employment announced the decision of increasing monthly minimum wage to $113 USD — a $37 USD increase. This announcement was done after a meeting of a government-formed wage board having representatives of factory owners and workers. As per the Associated Press, the ministers said the new pay structure will take effect December 1, 2023.

The decision was announced after weeks of worst protests and clash in a decade between factory workers and police. The workers were demanding a $208 USD monthly minimum wage. As of now, the protests are still going on, as the workers are not happy with the rate announced.

Keep your eyes on this space for further updates on this evolving story.

Main Image Photo Credit: www.instagram.com

Mehak Kapoor

Author

Mehak Kapoor (@makeba_93) is a reporter, anchor, and content writer with 10 years of TV and digital media experience. She has been associated with some of the most respected news channels and digital media houses like Network 18, Digi Osmosis, and NDTV. She holds a passion for writing, reporting, te...

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