Tens of thousands of garment workers making clothes for UK brands in Bangladesh have been holding protests seeking a minimum wage.

For weeks, these workers have been on the streets fighting for their basic rights, as the protests&nbsp;turn increasingly violent over no response from the government.

They say that they have been scavenging and stealing food on the streets as the wage they are earning is unable to satiate their children’s hunger.

Around 4 million people in Bangladesh are employed in the garment sector. Despite being a major supplier, the South Asian country has one of the lowest minimum wages for garment workers in the world, which has remained stagnant at 8,000 taka ($72 approx.) since 2018.

Bangladeshi Ministry for Labour and Employment is proposing a new minimum wage of 12,500 taka ($113 approx.) a month.

<h2>Disagreement between govt and workers over wage&nbsp;</h2>

However, the workers' union says that this won’t be enough to cover their basic living costs, which has been aggravated by inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.

They demand 23,000 taka ($208) a month, and anything less than that, they say, would make their children starve to death.

“The leggings I make retail for more than my entire month’s salary,” a garment worker with young children who did not want to be named told The Guardian.

“To us, it is clear that there are huge profits being made on our backs. Even the 23,000 taka we are asking for wouldn’t be enough, but it would offer some kind of relief. Why should my children go hungry?”

The government says they are willing to re-negotiate after the proposal for 12,500 taka was rejected by the workers.

<h2>Govt working things out&nbsp;</h2>

Monnujan Sufian, Bangladesh’s state minister for labour and employment, told local newspapers&nbsp;that the government was considering calls from garment workers for ration cards to help cover living costs.

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The workers have, meanwhile, found support from major fashion brands which source clothes from Bangladesh, saying that they support workers’ calls for a higher minimum wage.

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In a joint letter, brands including Next, Asos, New Look and Inditex, which owns Zara, said they recognised their role in “supporting wage developments”.

However, the labour rights groups argue that the brands have to take the initiative and pay more for their clothing orders for this to become a reality.

(With inputs from agencies)

Tens of thousands of garment workers making clothes for UK brands in Bangladesh have been holding protests seeking a minimum wage. For weeks, these workers have been on the streets fighting for their basic rights, as the protests turn increasingly violent over no response from the government.

Tens of thousands of garment workers making clothes for UK brands in Bangladesh have been holding protests seeking a minimum wage. For weeks, these workers have been on the streets fighting for their basic rights, as the protests turn increasingly violent over no response from the government. They say that they have been scavenging and stealing food on the streets as the wage they are earning is unable to satiate their children’s hunger. Around 4 million people in Bangladesh are employed in the garment sector. Despite being a major supplier, the South Asian country has one of the lowest minimum wages for garment workers in the world, which has remained stagnant at 8,000 taka ($72 approx.) since 2018. Bangladeshi Ministry for Labour and Employment is proposing a new minimum wage of 12,500 taka ($113 approx.) a month. Disagreement between govt and workers over wage However, the workers' union says that this won’t be enough to cover their basic living costs, which has been aggravated by inflation and a cost-of-living crisis. They demand 23,000 taka ($208) a month, and anything less than that, they say, would make their children starve to death. “The leggings I make retail for more than my entire month’s salary,” a garment worker with young children who did not want to be named told The Guardian. “To us, it is clear that there are huge profits being made on our backs. Even the 23,000 taka we are asking for wouldn’t be enough, but it would offer some kind of relief. Why should my children go hungry?” The government says they are willing to re-negotiate after the proposal for 12,500 taka was rejected by the workers. Govt working things out Monnujan Sufian, Bangladesh’s state minister for labour and employment, told local newspapers that the government was considering calls from garment workers for ration cards to help cover living costs. Also read | Ukraine military chief's adviser killed as grenade among his birthday gifts explodes The workers have, meanwhile, found support from major fashion brands which source clothes from Bangladesh, saying that they support workers’ calls for a higher minimum wage. Also read | Israel-Hamas war: Social media is the biggest devil. How to tackle fake news? In a joint letter, brands including Next, Asos, New Look and Inditex, which owns Zara, said they recognised their role in “supporting wage developments”. However, the labour rights groups argue that the brands have to take the initiative and pay more for their clothing orders for this to become a reality. (With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh garment workers protest seeking higher minimum wage

Thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh, who have been protesting for a week to demand a near-tripling of wages, clashed with police on Saturday (Nov 4) near the capital city of Dhaka as garment factories reopened in defiance of the protest.

Thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh, who have been protesting for a week to demand a near-tripling of wages, clashed with police on Saturday (Nov 4) near the capital city of Dhaka as garment factories reopened in defiance of the protest. According to a report by the news agency AFP, the clashes broke out in the industrial town of Ashulia, west of Dhaka, after around 10,000 workers attempted to prevent their colleagues from returning to their shifts. Speaking to AFP, Ashulia police chief Mohammad Sarowar Alam said that the striking garment workers hurled stones and bricks at officers and tried to block roads. "We dispersed them by firing tear gas," Alam said, adding that 1,500 security personnel had been deployed in Ashulia and nearby Savar to keep order. On Monday, protests were also held in Ashulia, Gazipur and Hemayetpur. Protests halt production for top fashion brands There are a total of 3,500 garment factories in Bangladesh which account for around 85 per cent of the country's $55 billion exports, supplying many of the top global brands including Zara, Levi's and H&M. Since the beginning of the protests, dozens of factories have been ransacked by the protesting workers, and several hundred other factories have been shut down by their owners to avoid vandalism. Among them are "many of the country's bigger factories, who make clothing for almost all major Western brands and retailers," Kalpona Akter, president of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF), told AFP. "They include Gap, Walmart, H&M, Zara, Inditex, Bestseller, Levi's, Marks and Spencer, Primark and Aldi," Akter added. Garment workers have said that a sharp increase in living costs has left them struggling to provide for their families. AFP reported on Saturday that the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), which represents factory owners, has offered workers a 25 per cent pay raise. However, this is significantly short of the $209 (23,000 taka) monthly wage that the protests called for. Akter also told the news agency that brands and retailers only care about smooth shipments and profits, and are not concerned about the well-being of the workers, many of whom are half-starving. (With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh: Garment workers clash with police during protests

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Bangladesh garment workers protest seeking higher minimum wage

Bangladesh: Garment workers clash with police during protests