"Revised minimum wage in Bangladesh is not enough", 28 February 2024

Last year, the minimum wage for Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) was revised, but this year’s demand from the textile workers, who are involved in the production of the fabric, has gone unheard as last week, the wage board fixed the minimum wage for cotton textile sector workers at BDT10,000 (US$90).

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Following the revision of minimum wage RMG workers last year, workers in textile mills also raised their voices for a wage increment. The cost of living in Bangladesh saw an unprecedented rise last year and in the absence of a wage hike in over five years, textile workers and their families had a difficult time meeting their daily needs.

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The committee set up by the labour ministry to fix the wage for the textile sector did not have proper representation. The sectoral representatives from employers’ side and workers’ side were from only one factory. The workers’ representative in the committee was from the national centre affiliated to the ruling party, and no broad-based consultation was held.