Bangladesh’s garment workers clash with police over higher wages

MIRPUR, Bangladesh - Thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh took to the streets on November 2, blocking major highways and clashing with police in a protest for higher wages. The demonstrators are demanding a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka (approximately RM981), which is nearly double their current pay. The protests have spread across industrial hubs, with workers in Gazipur, north of the capital Dhaka, blocking the Dhaka-Tangail highway and vandals several vehicles.

Police responded by dispersing demonstrators with tear gas, according to AFP reporters on the scene.

Despite the government's announcement on Sunday to establish a wage board to review the minimum wage in the garment industry, workers' grievances extend beyond the formation of the board. Labor leaders cite inflation and rising household expenses as factors contributing to the protesters' demands. Kalpona Akter, from the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity, reported that workers currently earn around 13,000 taka a month.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman convened an emergency cabinet meeting late Sunday, instructing officials to ensure workers' rights and improve their living standards. The government also requested law enforcement agencies to crack down on those involved in violence, unruly behavior, and unnecessary indiscipline. Kamrul Hasan, general secretary of the Ekota Garments Sramik Federation, acknowledged that some labor leaders had gone into hiding, stating that workers are now protesting over wages and other unresolved issues, despite the wage board already being formed.

Industry representatives confirmed that workers from at least 529 factories in Dhaka and surrounding areas had left their workplaces following the protests.