Concerns are rising that the ongoing wage talks for the Bangladesh readymade garment sector could result in a new poverty wage of just US $ 95 per month (Taka 10,400), based on an outrageous proposal presented by employers at the latest Wage Board meeting.
The Clean Clothes Campaign underlined this in a press communique shared with the media.
It further added that the meagre offer is being seen as an attempt to keep workers mired in poverty.
This situation has arisen due to the reluctance of major fashion brands to actively support the workers in their quest for decent wages, the CCC maintained while adding that brands that have committed to paying living wages, such as Asos, H&M, M&S, and Uniqlo, are being called upon to end their silent complicity with ‘unscrupulous’ business owners while also observing that advocates are urging these brands to pay higher prices for their products and support the demand of Bangladeshi trade unions to raise the wage to a minimum of US $ 207 per month.
“If the new minimum wage remains as low as Taka 10,400, it means that most workers will struggle to survive on the income they earn from working over 48 hours a week in this industry. They will continue to rely on overtime, skip meals, or compromise on other basic necessities for themselves and their families,” reportedly warned Kalpona Akter, president of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, adding “International buyers should take responsibility now before the situation worsens.”
The CCC press communique further added trade unions in Bangladesh have organised multiple demonstrations and have reached out to over 60 major brands that source products from Bangladesh while adding these brands have been implored to support the demand for a minimum wage of Taka 23,000, commit to sourcing from Bangladesh after the wage increase, and absorb the higher labour costs in their purchasing prices.
