‘Going hungry’: Garment workers in Bangladesh say wages barely cover needs

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Laili Begum can no longer afford to keep her two children in school. A Muslim-majority South Asian nation of 170 million people, Bangladesh has one of the world’s lowest wages among apparel-producing countries. Cambodia has a minimum wage of $210 a month for garment workers, Vietnam’s range from $140-$210, while wages at China’s manufacturing hub of Guangdong range between $286 and $378. That disparity – worsened by rising inflation and the growing cost of living – pushed the workers to strike and hit the streets on Saturday to demand a minimum wage of 30,000 taka ($241), more than double the current wage of 12,500 taka ($102). Later that day, the government announced the formation of a six-member wage board to review the workers’ demands. The last revision of the minimum wage in the garment sector took place in December 2023. The government’s announcement of a wage board follows an amendment to labour laws to reduce the wage review cycle from five years to three years. Labour Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury meanwhile urged the workers to resume work, saying the wage board would begin its deliberations shortly. The impending wage negotiations come at a challenging time for Bangladesh’s garment industry, as manufacturers balance workers’ demands for better wages with rising production costs and intensifying global competition. However, without fair purchasing prices from international brands, significant wage increases could put pressure on factories and threaten employment,” he said.