Bangladesh garment-makers threaten to quit wage talks
Protests over wages began in October and have sometimes turned violent, with demonstrators torching police vehicles and damaging property this month.
DHAKA: Bangladesh garment manufacturers' unions have vowed to withdraw from wage talks and halt operations indefinitely if further protests target their factories. The garment sector, a key driver of Bangladesh's economy, is grappling with rising living costs that have eroded workers' purchasing power amid an 8% inflation rate. The unions, representing major exporters like Fruit of the Loom and Levi Strauss, claim their demands for a 30,000 taka monthly wage (140% hike from the current 12,500 taka) are being ignored.
Violence flared this month, with demonstrators torching police vehicles and damaging property during wage protests. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) warned that factories suffering unrest may remain shut indefinitely under a "no work, no pay" provision in Bangladeshi labor law.
Over 4,500 factories are affected, contributing to four-fifths of the country's $38 billion annual garment exports. Over 147 factories remained closed on Saturday in key manufacturing regions, with workers blocking traffic in some areas.
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