abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

17 Sep 2018

Author:
Faisal Mahmud, Asia Times

Protests over Bangladesh’s minimum wage for garment workers

Hundreds of garment workers and union leaders took to the streets of Dhaka on Friday after rejecting government plans to raise their minimum wage to Tk 8,000 (US$96) per month. Union leaders and workers described the new wage as a “joke” and a “slap on the face." Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Labor and Employment, on Thursday declared the new minimum wage, a 51% increase from the previous Tk 5,300 ($64)...MM Akash, a Professor of Economics of Dhaka University and one of the consultants on the wage board, said Tk 8,000 ($96) was nowhere near the amount he suggested.He said, in reality, a six-member family of a worker needs about Tk 28,620 ($341) per month to lead a decent life with basic facilities. “Considering the economic condition of the whole country and the capacity of the owners, I had recommended Tk 16,000, which is the minimum,” he said...Factory owners say the revised salary of Tk 8,000 ($96) was, in fact, too much for them to bear. Siddiqur Rahman, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) – the apex body of apparel manufacturers and traders – said in the last few years a number of garment manufacturers had to shut their factories as they could not cover their costs.

Timeline

Privacy information

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies. You can set your privacy choices below. Changes will take effect immediately.

For more information on our use of web storage, please refer to our Data Usage and Cookies Policy

Strictly necessary storage

ON
OFF

Necessary storage enables core site functionality. This site cannot function without it, so it can only be disabled by changing settings in your browser.

Analytics cookie

ON
OFF

When you access our website we use Google Analytics to collect information on your visit. Accepting this cookie will allow us to understand more details about your journey, and improve how we surface information. All analytics information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you. Google provides a Google Analytics opt-out add on for all popular browsers.

Promotional cookies

ON
OFF

We share news and updates on business and human rights through third party platforms, including social media and search engines. These cookies help us to understand the performance of these promotions.

Your privacy choices for this site

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies to enhance your experience beyond necessary core functionality.