2023-11-10 10:55:00
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has refused any further increase in the minimum wage of textile workers who continue to demand that it be almost tripled, after more than ten days of demonstrations and clashes with the police.
“I would tell the garment workers that they have to work and with this salary increase, they should continue their work,” Ms. Hasina said at a meeting of her party, the Awami League, late Thursday evening.
On Tuesday, the minimum wage committee for the textile sector increased the basic monthly salary of the sector’s four million workers by 56.25%, bringing it to 12,500 takas (104 euros), an amount deemed “ridiculous” and immediately rejected. by the unions.
Textile workers are demonstrating for a near tripling of the minimum wage, currently from 8,300 takas (70 euros) to 23,000 takas (190 euros).
According to the unions, workers are suffering hard from inflation, which reached almost 10% in October, and the depreciation of around 30% of the taka against the US dollar since the beginning of last year.
“If they take to the streets to protest at someone’s instigation, they will lose their job, their job and will have to return to their village,” Ms. Hasina added.
“A climate of fear”
A union leader, speaking on condition of anonymity on Friday, said Hasina’s speech created a “climate of fear” in the sector and appeared to give security forces permission to further crack down on demonstrations.
Police arrested more than 100 demonstrators, including several union leaders, accused of violence and vandalism in factories, two police officers told AFP.
The United States this week condemned “the criminalization of the legitimate activities of workers and unions.”
Washington on Wednesday urged Bangladeshi authorities to “review the decision on the minimum wage” to respond “to the growing economic pressures faced by workers.”
At least three workers died and six police officers were injured and more than 70 factories were ransacked, according to police, in just over ten days of violent protests.
But Ms. Hasina also argued that the increase proposed to the textile sector was much higher than that of barely 5% from which civil servants benefited.
The latter, however, enjoy much more comfortable salaries.
Rashedul Alam Raju, a garment union leader, urged Ms. Hasina to listen to the workers’ demands.
“The Prime Minister may increase salaries after reviewing the situation,” Raju said.
responsibility of major “brands”
Unions say the pay rise offered this week is insufficient compared to soaring food prices, rents and health and schooling costs for the children of textile workers.
The powerful politician also deplored that 19 factories were “attacked and destroyed”, stressing that these were companies that “gave them sustenance, food and work”.
Bangladesh’s approximately 3,500 textile factories, employing mostly women, produce 85% of the country’s 51 billion euros in annual exports and supply many major global brands, such as Levi’s, Zara (Inditex group) and H&M.
“If these factories are closed, if production is disrupted, exports are disrupted, where will their jobs go? They must understand that,” Ms. Hasina also argued.
Netherlands-based garment workers’ rights organization the Clean Clothes Campaign denounced the new base wage as “poverty wages.”
“If brands supported the 23,000 takas demanded by the unions and committed to absorbing the cost of the wage increase, workers would not need to take to the streets to demonstrate,” he said on Friday. AFP the spokesperson for the organization, Bogu Gojdz.
“We consider brands committed to a living wage – such as ASOS, Uniqlo, H&M, C&A, M&S, Aldi and Next – particularly responsible for this situation,” added Mr Gojdz.
Textiles are a key industry in Bangladesh, the world’s second largest clothing exporter behind China.
10/11/2023 11:10:43 – Dacca (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
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