Bangladesh raises monthly minimum wage for garment workers to $113 after protests

This version of Bangladesh Raises Monthly Minimum Wage Garment Workers Protests Rcna124126 - Breaking News | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.

The decision came after weeks of violent protests by workers, who say the new wage — a 56% increase from the previous $75 — is still too low.
Police fired tear gas at thousands of workers who set a bus on fire outside Bangladesh's capital on November 7, with tensions are rising ahead of a new minimum wage announcement for millions of garment labourers.
Garment workers and activists protesting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Tuesday.Munir Uz Zaman / AFP - Getty Images

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Authorities in Bangladesh announced a new salary structure on Tuesday for protesting garment factory workers with a 56% increase in the monthly minimum wage to $113 from the previous $75, a decision rejected by some workers’ groups as too small.

State Minister for Labor and Employment Monnujan Sufian announced the decision after a meeting of a government-formed wage board made up of representatives of factory owners and workers. She said the new pay structure will take effect Dec. 1.

Critics say the influential factory owners should do more for the workers.

The decision came after weeks of violent protests by workers demanding a $208 monthly minimum wage. Workers have demonstrated in the streets, attacked factories, fought with police officers and burned vehicles.

The protests began after the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association offered to increase the monthly minimum wage by 25% to $90.

Bangladeshi garment workers protest to demand the increase of their salaries, in Dhaka on Nov. 2, 2023.
Hundreds of garment factories in Bangladesh have closed as thousands of workers stage violent protests to demand wage increases.Munir Uz Zaman / AFP - Getty Images

The last increase in the minimum wage was announced in 2018.

Workers say they currently need to work overtime to make ends meet.

Kalpona Akter, president of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, said they were “extremely frustrated” over what she described as a paltry increase.

Akter said workers are struggling because prices of daily commodities are rising.

“This is very frustrating. We can’t accept this,” she said.

Bangladesh is the second-largest garment-producing country in the world after China with nearly 3,500 factories employing about 4 million workers, most of them women, according to the manufacturers’ association.

It says factory owners are under pressure because global brands in Western countries are offering less than before.

Owners argue that production costs have also increased because of higher energy prices and transportation costs.

Bangladesh annually earns about $55 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the United States and Europe. The country is exploring new markets such as Japan, China and India.

AdBlock Detected!
Please disable it to support our content.
×

Related Articles

Donald Trump Presidency Updates - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Joe Biden Campaign News - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Kamala Harris Vp Announcement - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Trump Indictment Latest - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Election Results Live - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Swing States Polling - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Debate Highlights - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Budget Approval 2025 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Abortion Ruling - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Us China Relations - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone | Inflation Rates 2025 Analysis - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Federal Reserve Interest Rates - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Stock Market Today - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Recession Prediction 2025 - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Jobs Report Unemployment - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Ai Stock Surge - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Housing Market Crash - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Oil Prices Update - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Amazon Prime Sales - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Bitcoin Etf Approval - Business and Economy | NBC News Clone | Latest Vaccine Developments - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Covid Variants Update - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Boosters New Guidelines - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Anxiety Depression Treatment - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Longevity Research - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Diet Trends 2025 - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Workout Routines - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Fda Approvals 2025 - Health and Medicine | NBC News Clone | Ukraine Russia Conflict Updates - World News | NBC News Clone | Israel Palestine War News - World News | NBC News Clone | China Taiwan Tensions - World News | NBC News Clone | Middle East Peace Talks - World News | NBC News Clone | European Union Politics - World News | NBC News Clone | Development News - World News | NBC News Clone | North Korea Missile Test - World News | NBC News Clone | Brazil Election - World News | NBC News Clone | Openai Chatgpt News - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Google Bard Ai - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Ai Regulation Laws - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Tiktok Ban Update - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Data Breaches 2025 - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Iphone 16 Release - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Nasa Mars Mission - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | Web3 Developments - Technology and Innovation | NBC News Clone | 2024 Paris Games Highlights - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Super Bowl 2025 Preview - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Nba Playoffs 2025 - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Champions League Finals - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | World Series 2025 - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Masters Tournament 2025 - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone | Extreme Weather Events - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Hurricane Season 2025 - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Global Warming Report - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Weekly Weather Update - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Earthquake Alerts - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Solar Storm Warning - Weather and Climate | NBC News Clone | Hollywood Updates - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Oscar Nominations 2025 - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Grammy Awards 2025 - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Netflix New Releases - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Video Game Releases - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Bestseller List - Entertainment and Celebrity | NBC News Clone | Government Transparency - Investigations and Analysis | NBC News Clone | Political Corruption - Investigations and Analysis | NBC News Clone | Big Tech Monopoly - Investigations and Analysis | NBC News Clone | Data Privacy Scandal - Investigations and Analysis | NBC News Clone | Community Stories - Local News and Communities | NBC News Clone | Nyc Mayor News - Local News and Communities | NBC News Clone | La Wildfires Update - Local News and Communities | NBC News Clone | Hurricane Preparedness - Local News and Communities | NBC News Clone