[Bangladesh] Fast fashion workers facing starvation fight for higher pay

In Bangladesh, garment workers producing clothes for UK high-street brands say they face starvation and are being forced to scavenge food from fields and bins to feed their children, as protests continue over a new minimum wage for the 4 million-strong garment workforce, The Guardian reports.

In the past week, tens of thousands of workers have taken to the streets in increasingly violent protests. Unions and news reports have revealed that one young worker, Rasel Hawlader, was tragically killed.

Bangladesh reportedly has one of the lowest minimum wages for garment workers in the world, despite being a major supplier of clothing to fast fashion brands. The monthly wage has stayed at 8,000 taka (£60) since 2018.

Now the Bangladeshi Ministry for Labour and Employment is proposing a new minimum wage of 12,500 taka (£92) a month; a significantly lower figure than the 23,000 taka (£170) a month workers’ unions say is the minimum needed to cover basic living costs amid spiralling inflation and a cost of living crisis. 

Further protests are expected during a two-week review period before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - who has the power to make the final decision - confirms the new minimum wage.

Monnujan Sufian - Bangladesh’s state minister for labour and employment - told local newspapers that the government was engaged in negotiations over a new minimum wage after factory owners rejected the union’s calls for the wage to be raised to 23,000 taka. He also said the government was considering calls from garment workers for ration cards to help cover living costs.

A number of the fashion brands sourcing clothes from Bangladesh say they support workers’ calls for a higher minimum wage. In a joint letter, brands including Next, Asos, New Look and Inditex - the owner of  Zara - said they recognised their role in “supporting wage developments”.

But labour rights groups argue that, despite many brands coming out in support of workers’ demands for higher pay, brands would need to agree to pay more for their clothing orders for this to become a reality.

“Brands have the power and the leverage to play a crucial role in these negotiations but they are failing to do this,” Thulsi Narayanasamy - director of international advocacy at the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) - said.

“It’s easy to say that you support a higher minimum wage and workers being paid a living wage, but without concrete action – and by this we mean actually paying the factories and the workers what it costs to make clothing that is being sold for enormous profits – then it is all meaningless,” Ms Narayanasamy said.

“We’ve seen many brands vaguely come out in support of workers, but aside from one exception, not one of these companies have said they support the union’s call for a living wage of just £168 a month or adjust their own prices to enable it.”

Source: The Guardian

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

In Bangladesh, garment workers producing clothes for UK high-street brands say they face starvation and are being forced to scavenge food from fields and bins to feed their children, as protests continue over a new minimum wage for the 4 million-strong garment workforce, The Guardian reports.

In the past week, tens of thousands of workers have taken to the streets in increasingly violent protests. Unions and news reports have revealed that one young worker, Rasel Hawlader, was tragically killed.

Bangladesh reportedly has one of the lowest minimum wages for garment workers in the world, despite being a major supplier of clothing to fast fashion brands. The monthly wage has stayed at 8,000 taka (£60) since 2018.

Now the Bangladeshi Ministry for Labour and Employment is proposing a new minimum wage of 12,500 taka (£92) a month; a significantly lower figure than the 23,000 taka (£170) a month workers’ unions say is the minimum needed to cover basic living costs amid spiralling inflation and a cost of living crisis. 

Further protests are expected during a two-week review period before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - who has the power to make the final decision - confirms the new minimum wage.

Monnujan Sufian - Bangladesh’s state minister for labour and employment - told local newspapers that the government was engaged in negotiations over a new minimum wage after factory owners rejected the union’s calls for the wage to be raised to 23,000 taka. He also said the government was considering calls from garment workers for ration cards to help cover living costs.

A number of the fashion brands sourcing clothes from Bangladesh say they support workers’ calls for a higher minimum wage. In a joint letter, brands including Next, Asos, New Look and Inditex - the owner of  Zara - said they recognised their role in “supporting wage developments”.

But labour rights groups argue that, despite many brands coming out in support of workers’ demands for higher pay, brands would need to agree to pay more for their clothing orders for this to become a reality.

“Brands have the power and the leverage to play a crucial role in these negotiations but they are failing to do this,” Thulsi Narayanasamy - director of international advocacy at the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) - said.

“It’s easy to say that you support a higher minimum wage and workers being paid a living wage, but without concrete action – and by this we mean actually paying the factories and the workers what it costs to make clothing that is being sold for enormous profits – then it is all meaningless,” Ms Narayanasamy said.

“We’ve seen many brands vaguely come out in support of workers, but aside from one exception, not one of these companies have said they support the union’s call for a living wage of just £168 a month or adjust their own prices to enable it.”

Source: The Guardian

(Links and quotes via original reporting)