Bangladesh garment workers defy wage board call, demand 30,000 taka minimum pay

Bangladesh has announced a six-member wage board to review garment workers' pay on Sunday, November 1. But thousands of workers kept protesting across major industrial areas. The violent protests disrupted transport and factory operations, with workers throwing bricks, setting fire to police boxes and vehicles, and vandalising factory properties. Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters blocking a busy Dhaka intersection, and clashes were reported elsewhere around the capital.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the board was formed after discussions with workers' representatives and industry leaders. He urged workers to return to work, saying the review met their central demand.

Workers did not heed the call.

The latest unrest follows protests on Saturday in Ashulia, a major garment hub on Dhaka's outskirts. About 30 factories there declared holidays, according to the local industrial police chief. Several people, including police officers, were injured in clashes.

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Workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, more than double the current 12,500 taka. They cite rising costs of food, housing, transport and healthcare that have eroded their purchasing power.

Manufacturers also claim they face higher production costs, periodic gas and electricity shortages, and energy-market uncertainty tied to West Asia tensions.

The board has no announced timeline. The minister has warned that prolonged closures could result in delays in export shipments and payments from international buyers. Workers have expressed deep distrust, claiming that factory owners hold disproportionate control over the board, leading to historical compromises that fall short of actual living costs.

Bangladesh's garment industry is the second-largest in the world, only after China's. It employs roughly 4 million workers, contributes roughly 10% of GDP and generates more than 80% of export earnings. The current minimum wage for Bangladeshi workers was an upgrade, set at 12,500 taka, a 56% rise from 8,300 taka owing, to the protest of 2023, which killed at least three workers.