Bangladeshi Textile Workers Face 6 Years of Frozen Wages
Accounting for 85% of National Total Exports... Essentially the 'Foundation'
Garment workers, who account for more than 80% of Bangladesh's export earnings, have demanded a "threefold increase in wages." They claim that wages have been virtually frozen since 2017.
According to foreign media reports including AFP on the 30th (local time), large-scale protests by textile industry labor unions took place in Gazipur Industrial Park, the center of Bangladesh's garment industry, and Ashulia near the capital Dhaka.
Local police estimated the number of protesters at around 17,000. However, the organizers claim that at least 100,000 people gathered.
The union is demanding that the monthly minimum wage be raised from the current 8,300 taka (about 100,000 KRW) to 23,000 taka (about 280,000 KRW). On the other hand, the employers insist on a 25% increase, making negotiations expected to be difficult.
The reason the union is demanding a nearly threefold increase in monthly wages is due to years of wage freezes. The union pointed out that the minimum wage has been virtually stagnant since 2017, and that the high inflation rate in Bangladesh and the depreciation of the taka against the dollar must be taken into account.
The police stated that protesters in Gazipur and other areas looted and damaged some factories, and that tear gas was fired to disperse the protests.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh is one of the world's largest garment exporters. Of the country's total annual exports of 55 billion dollars (about 74 trillion KRW), 85% is generated from garment exports. It is virtually the "foundation" of Bangladesh's industry.
With a population of about 170 million, Bangladesh has succeeded in economic growth thanks to the textile industry. In terms of per capita income, it has almost caught up with neighboring India.
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