 "Bangladesh textile")
Garment worker’s protest in Bangladesh has taken a violent turn as protestors have been on the streets for the last two weeks demanding better wages for the country’s four million workers in the garment industry. The protests have seen violent clashes between the protestors and security personnel which has resulted in the death of three workers, a CNN report said.
Worker unions have alleged that the police used tear gas and rubber bullets to dislodge the protest. As things stand, 150 factories in the country have been shut down “indefinitely” as the police registered charges against 11,000 workers for indulging in violent protests, a Moneycontrol (MC) report said.
Issues raised by the protestors
While the garment industry contributes a lion’s share to the Bangladeshi economy, the working conditions for employees in the sector are abysmal. The four million workers, the majority of which are women, in the industry work for $95 a month, the CNN report said. Workers are demanding $208 monthly in wages.
The protests have resulted in many factories closing in the country. Dozens of protestors have been injured.
What are the global brands saying about these protests?
Eighteen global brands have come forward and sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh urging peaceful negotiations and calling for the new minimum wage to cover the basic needs of the workers, the CNN report said. These brands included H&M, Levi’s, Gap, and Puma, among others.
While these brands do not have a say in setting up the minimum wage in the country, they are a key stakeholder in the matter.
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Elizabeth Cline, a teacher of Fashion Policy at Columbia University told CNN, “A lot of the pressure on factories, it does start with brands and retailers, and I think that it’s just a conversation that the fashion industry keeps trying to resist. But if we want to fix wages, we really have to fix the pricing problem.”
Significance of the garment industry in Bangladesh
The garment industry is one of the most prominent economic drivers in Bangladesh. The country has around 3,500 garment factories which account for around 85 per cent of Bangladesh’s $55 billion in annual exports, Moneycontrol (MC) reported. These factories have ties with top global brands such as Levi’s, Zara, and H&M, among others.
