Unions in Bangladesh are demanding an increase in the minimum wage for garment workers.

The demands include the minimum wage of an entry level garment worker with a yearly increment of ten per cent as opposed to the current five per cent.

Other demands of workers’ unions include ration facilities for workers, considering the rising cost of living.The unions are demanding that the basic wage is made 65 per cent of the total wage, which includes both the basic wage and allowances.

Currently, the basic wage for a garment worker is less than 60 per cent of the total wage. This is important as termination payments, like severance and gratuity are calculated based on the basic wage. Inflation has left workers struggling to make ends meet.

Bangladesh’s labour laws require the formation of a new wage board every five years to settle wage structures for every industry. The last review of garment workers’ wages was in 2018. The market situation has drastically changed between 2018 and 2022. With skyrocketing inflation, it has become impossible for workers to afford a decent standard of living.

The inflation rate in Bangladesh crossed 9.5 per cent in August 2022, the highest in eleven years.