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Article

29 Jul 2010

Author:
Amy Kazmin, Financial Times

Bangladesh lifts pay for garment workers

Bangladesh has implemented an almost twofold rise in the minimum wage for its garment industry in a bid to end months of unrest by workers who produce clothes for leading western brands such as like Marks & Spencer, H&M and Wal-Mart…However, the new wage falls well short of the $75 per month that workers are demanding and it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to end a spate of labour unrest…Bangladeshi garment workers have grown restive recently, taking to the streets in protest at wages they say are too low to ensure even their basic survival…Union leaders who sat on the committee said the new pay rate was intended to meet workers’ needs while ensuring Bangladesh remained competitive in the world market. But other labour leaders have denounced the move and threatened fresh industrial action. Unions and charities such as ActionAid have calculated that a living wage in Bangladesh of about $150 per month would be needed to allow garment workers, who are mostly women, to afford nutritious food, health and education for their families.