09 July 2018 Morally long overdue, now also legally: The minimum wage in Bangladesh must be raised. Demonstration on 5 July 2018. Photo: © NGWFTrade unions and workers demonstrate for wage increases in clothing factories On July 5, our Bangladeshi partner NGWF (National Garment Worker Federation) organized a rally in Dhaka to protest for the long overdue increase in the minimum wage in Bangladesh's garment industry. After the Bangladeshi government brutally suppressed previous protests and imprisoned hundreds of trade unionists and workers, it finally set up a wage authority on 29 January 2018 to reset the minimum wage for textile workers. According to the law, the wage increase is foreseen within six months, but so far only two meetings of the Commission have taken place. On July 8th, the Wage Commission should finally meet. The six months are running out on July 29 - but an increase is still not in sight. In April, the campaign for clean clothing had already called on 20 of the largest shopping brand companies to publicly support workers' minimum wage demands of the equivalent of about 192 USD (16,000 Taka).Trade unions and workers who campaigned for 16,000 Taka minimum wage have since been harassed by the government and factory owners (cf.Home page of cleanclothes.org). At the July rally, the trade unions strongly reminded the buying companies, factory owners and government that "the quality of life of workers, their health, safety and satisfaction are related to production and product. Massive and high-quality production cannot be achieved with starving workers." FEMNET explicitly supports the minimum wage requirements of the employees in the amount of 16,000 Taka and, together with partner organisations in Bangladesh, calls for an increase within the statutory deadline by the end of July! On the initiative of FEMNET, some members of the steering committee of the Textile Alliance - business representatives, the DGB and NGOs - have also Letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh (PDF file) and the business association BGMEA on 6.7.2018, in which they stress that an increase in the minimum wage in Bangladesh is urgently needed and that the demand of the trade unions should be heard.
