Arabic version: إغلاق مصانع الملابس في بنغلادش خلال إضراب للمطالبة بالأجور
According to BBC News, dozens of clothing factories in Bangladesh’s main garment-producing areas have shut as workers strike for a higher minimum wage.
Nearly 150 sites across the textile hubs of Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur were closed over the weekend. Workers are seeking a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka (£182), compared with the current 12,500 taka, saying it is insufficient for the cost of living crisis.
Workers gathered on the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Gazipur on Sunday morning and blocked traffic for about an hour before police intervened. Police Supt Mohammad Amjad Hossain said officers closed factories after workers walked out, with 13 factories shut on Saturday night and 16 closed during the morning unrest.
Bangladesh’s garment industry employs about four million people, generates nearly $40bn (£30bn) in annual exports and accounts for 10% of national GDP. The country is the world’s second-largest exporter of ready-to-wear clothing after China.
The government formed a minimum wage board on 1 November to recommend a revised pay structure. The board said it would finalise recommendations by the end of November, with any revised structure expected to take effect from 1 December.
