Bangladesh sets up wage board as garment protests shut more than 500 factories

Bangladesh formed a six-member wage board on Sunday to review garment workers' pay, but thousands of workers kept protesting around Dhaka and clashed with police, The Straits Times, CNA and The Hindu reported. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said the unrest had shut 529 factories and left 987,190 workers out of work, according to The Straits Times.

Workers want a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, which CNA put at US$245. The Straits Times and CNA gave the current minimum as 12,500 taka. The Hindu quoted Kalpona Akhter of the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity as saying workers earn about 13,000 taka and are "demanding a bit more than 30,000 taka, considering inflation and the rising cost of living".

In Dhaka, police used tear gas and water cannon on workers blocking a busy intersection, and some protesters threw bricks at officers, CNA reported. The Straits Times said a police vehicle and a police box were set on fire in separate incidents, while The Hindu reported that police also fired sound grenades. Al Jazeera described dozens of workers clashing with police in the capital.

Hundreds of workers also blocked a major highway in Gazipur, outside the capital. Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Amjad Hossain told CNA that owners there had shut 25 to 30 factories and that Border Guard Bangladesh personnel had been deployed. Dozens of factories in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia suspended operations on Saturday after similar protests.

Labour Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury said the board followed three days of talks with labour leaders and factory owners, and urged workers to return. It has two representatives each from workers and employers, one from the government and a neutral member, The Straits Times reported. "A coterie seeking to destabilise the government and cause public suffering has been exploiting our workers," he said, according to The Hindu. He also warned that prolonged disruption could delay export shipments and payments from international buyers.

Employers rejected the workers' figure. "It's not feasible. There is no logical or mathematical basis for such a demand," Salim Rahman, first vice-president of the manufacturers' association, told The Straits Times. Manufacturers cited rising production costs, gas and electricity shortages and energy market uncertainty linked to tensions in the Middle East.

Workers said their pay no longer covers basic costs. "After paying rent, there is very little left for food, our children's education and other essential expenses," worker Mahin Hossain told The Straits Times.

The industry employs about 4 million people, generates more than 80 per cent of Bangladesh's export earnings and contributes about 10 per cent of gross domestic product, The Straits Times and CNA reported. It is the world's largest ready-made garment sector after China's and supplies retailers in Europe and the United States. The Hindu said it recently secured greater access to Japan.

The board has been asked to review garment sector wages and recommend revised pay rates.

Sources: The Straits Times, Bangladesh sets up wage board as garment workers’ unrest shuts factories; CNA, Bangladesh forms wage board as garment protests turn violent; The Hindu, Bangladesh forms wage board as garment workers keep up protests; Al Jazeera, Bangladesh workers clash with police in protests over low pay.