Bangladesh forms garment wage board as protests disrupt factories

Bangladesh formed a six-member wage board on Sunday to determine a new minimum for garment workers after demonstrations spread through Dhaka, Gazipur and other industrial areas. Workers are demanding 30,000 taka a month, more than double the current 12,500 taka, saying food, housing, transport and healthcare costs have eroded their wages.

The Labour Ministry’s notifications appoint representatives of workers, employers and a neutral member under the amended Labour Act. The state news agency confirmed the appointments but gave no deadline for a decision. The Daily Star, citing the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said disruptions affected 529 factories and 987,190 workers; local police separately reported formal holiday closures at a smaller number of factories. The measures are different, so they should not be treated as competing counts of the same thing.

Police used tear gas and water cannon during some clashes, while workers blocked major roads. The government urged employees to return, warning of delayed exports and buyer payments. Garments employ about four million people and generate more than 80% of Bangladesh’s export earnings. Creating the board opens a bargaining process; it does not guarantee the requested wage or resolve concerns over dismissed workers and alleged blacklisting.