Bangladesh: Struggle for higher minimum wage for garment workers ongoing
The wages board for Bangladeshi apparel workers - which meets every five years to revise minimum wages - failed to meet its deadline to come up with a new wage structure. Labour unions and advocates are pushing for a minimum monthly wage of 23,000 taka ($208.64) to 25,000 taka ($226.79), while manufacturers say that more than doubling the current minimum wage is unaffordable. The Dhaka based think tank Center for Policy Dialogue recommended a minimum monthly wage of 17,568 taka, or approximately $160, based on a survey of 228 workers from 76 apparel factories in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Chittagong. Its report noted that Bangladesh wages, at $72.42, adjusted to the current rate of the U.S. dollar, significantly lag other countries. The minimum wage in China is $303.59, India is $171.80, Indonesia is $242.94, Pakistan is $110.59 and Vietnam is $170.35.
The president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Faruque Hassan, has stressed the need for brands to increase product prices and ensure ethical buying practices to make the higher wage structure a reality. Meanwhile, workers have staged protests to highlight their demands - including at the site of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster.