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Nov 02, 2023

Garment workers and trade unions call for better wages for workers

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By Ezreen Benissan

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Garment workers and trade unions are demanding better pay in line with rising inflation rates and say buyers, brands and retailers must come together to support the call.

The newly formed minimum wage board for Bangladesh's Readymade Garment Industry met for the first time in May to discuss increasing the current minimum wage level for workers in Bangladesh. On Tuesday, Remake, a global advocacy organisation fighting for fair pay and climate justice in the textile and garment industry, and the Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA), an Asian labour-led organisation and social alliance across garment-producing countries, hosted a conference call to reiterate the arguments. It marked the first minimum wage review in five years; in 2018, a review resulted in 8,000 Taka ($74) being set as the minimum monthly wage for a garment worker, up from 5,300 Taka ($49).

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The garment workers argue that increasing pay would support the future of the industry, as low wages will ultimately have a detrimental effect on the wider garment industry as export levels will start to deplete, Sirajul Islam Rony, president of the Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League and the Workers’ Representative in the current Minimum Wage Board, said during the call. Global solidarity is needed, he added, because buyers around the world have a responsibility to ensure that garment workers are paid fairly. "If the global community helps us with this negotiation, we hope that we can ensure a better living wage for our Bangladeshi workers."

The garment industry is one of the largest contributors to the Bangladesh economy and has the potential to uplift the lives of millions if paid a fair living wage, said Arifur Rahman, AFWA's Country Coordinator for Bangladesh, adding that garment workers in Bangladesh are currently unable to afford basic necessities such as food and other daily necessities. "The amount I’m getting is inadequate to feed my family or get my health care," said Shopna Akter, who has worked as a seamstress for the past 16 years. The garment sector is currently the second-largest exporter of ready-made garments (RMG) globally, contributing 9.3 per cent to the country's GDP in 2022, according to the Bangladesh Bank. However, trade unions and garment workers have argued that wages have not increased despite the industry's steady growth.

The current average wage for garment workers is approximately between 8,000 to 12,000 Taka ($92 to $111), according to Remake and AFWA. A recent survey conducted last year found that 40,000 Taka ($370) is needed for a worker in the country to live a decent life, said Tapon Shah, general secretary of the Textile Garments Workers Federation. He expects this to increase as inflation rises and the cost of housing, medical and other necessities goes up. In countries like the UK or US, minimum wage operates in relation to a national wage agreement outlined by the respective government. However, the report found that in "post-colonial developing countries, low industrial development leads to a low average national wage, at times, even below the poverty level". The Bangladesh Government is expected to announce its final decision for the new minimum wage figure in mid-June.

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By Christina Binkley

A living wage has become a prominent topic across the global supply chain since the pandemic shone a light on pay inequality and working conditions within manufacturing countries. According to Fashion Revolution's 2022 Fashion Transparency Index, 96 per cent of brands do not disclose the number of workers currently paid a living wage, while 27 per cent have a public strategy for achieving living wages throughout their supply chains. Some legislation has been proposed to help close the wage gap: Senate Bill 62 in California requires apparel factories to pay workers an hourly rate instead of per piece. However, EU legislation is still in the early stages, with many trade unions campaigning for regional-wide laws to protect workers. Good Clothes, Fair Pay coalition, which is co-led by Fashion Revolution's policy and campaigns manager Ciara Barry, came together to form a European citizens’ initiative to call on the EU Commission to introduce living wage legislation across the garment, textile and footwear sector.

"If the global community helps us with this negotiation, we hope that we can ensure a better living wage for our Bangladeshi workers," said Sirajul Islam Rony of the Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League.

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