Bangladesh Clothing Workers Pay Raise Action Escalation

Bangladesh's strike continued to escalate and intensified. The 19 day demonstrations of garment workers demanding pay increases evolved into violent violent clashes with the police on the 22 day. The women dominated demonstrators threw stones at the police and set fire to the vehicles in the Ashulia Industrial Park North of the capital Dhaka. The park looked like a battlefield. The police fired more than 90 rubber bullets on the demonstrators, used at least 150 tear gas shells, and used high pressure water guns to disperse the crowd. The 700 garment factories in the industrial park were all closed, resulting in millions of dollars in economic losses.

Yesterday, after receiving the government's security guarantee, about 250 factories were reopened under heavy police force.

The salaries of workers in Bangladesh clothing factories are at the lowest level in the world, most of which are produced by international retailers such as WAL-MART, H&M and Tesco.

The strike will strike a heavy blow on the country's exports, and the wages and interests of workers will remain a long-term problem.

Industrial parks into battlefields

Moore Heidi, President of Bangladesh clothing manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that after the government promised to stop violence, the clothing factory owner resumed production yesterday.

He said the government promised factory owners that the authorities would ensure safety when they negotiate with protest workers.

"We are working hard together. Everything is normal today."

Moore Heidi said.

Ajab Khan, deputy director of the government's police department, said yesterday: "the workers have returned to work on time. There is no problem. The police have deployed 1000 riot police and high pressure water guns to prevent the workers from continuing to make trouble."

Bangladeshi workers, mainly clothing manufacturers in the US and Europe, have been demonstrating in the industrial area outside the capital Dhaka 19 days ago, protesting that the pay is too meager.

According to the agreement reached by garment manufacturers, trade unions and local governments in 2006, these workers earn a minimum wage of 1662 Taka (about 24 US dollars).

They now demand a minimum wage of 5000 Taka (about $72).

On the 22 day, a large number of workers blocked the main road of the Ashulia Industrial Park, while burning about 50 vehicles, until 7 o'clock at night, the conflict gradually subsided.

Police and trade union leaders revealed that at least 100 demonstrators and 40 policemen were injured in the conflict that day.

The police arrested 5 people and said none of the 5 workers was workers.

Delva Hussein, deputy general manager of Ha-Meem group, said the workers from outside attacked his production line supervisor. "The supervisor was seriously injured, and the demonstrators kept him in control for several hours and refused to let him go to the hospital."

The Ha-Meem group negotiated with the demonstrators, but eventually broke down.

"All our windows were burned down, and computers and office furniture were all destroyed."

Hamid, the boss of Scandex factory for polo production of WAL-MART, said M.A..

"Due to a 3 day stoppage, our shipping was postponed. We have suspended 14 workers and will gradually resume business."

His factory workers earn a minimum monthly salary of only 2000 Tucca.

Moore Heidi announced on the 22 day that all garment factories in the area were forced to close, and indicated that the government would resume operation after the government announced the resumption of order.

"The government tells us that they will ensure the safety of the factory and will not be damaged or robbed."

He said that the export of about 300 factories was affected, and enterprises including WAL-MART and Carrefour were jointly and severally affected.

"Our exports will be hit, buyers will become cautious and investors will avoid them."

Western brands are implicated.

The demonstrators in the garment industry are mainly calling for higher wages.

Workers asked for a minimum wage of about $72 a month, but Bangladesh clothing manufacturers and Exporters Association said they could raise their minimum monthly salary to only $30.

The association represents more than 4500 garment factories in the country, which employ about 3 million 500 thousand workers.

"Most people live below the poverty line, and now food prices are soaring. Such low wages have a disastrous effect on the livelihood of workers."

International business consulting company "global perspective" said.

The Bangladesh government promised to raise wages in April, but it never materialized.

The British Times said yesterday that the riot was uneasy for Britain, which desperately needs cheap clothes.

Last year, Bangladesh produced more than 8 billion pounds of T-shirts, jackets and other garments for the world market, most of which were shipped to Primark, H&M and so on.

In the past few years, these retailers have greatly reduced the price of clothing.

Martha stores and H&M confirmed that some supply factories were forced to close.

Primark and Adidas did not immediately comment on this.

Last year, garment manufacturing accounted for nearly 80% of Bangladesh's total export volume of 15 billion 560 million US dollars, and garment factories employed 40% of the manufacturing workforce in the country.

Vietnam's "international trade union alliance" recently said that Bangladesh was "the largest number of workers killed on the Asian continent for rights".

Figures

A jacket of Zara is about 600 yuan, and the monthly salary of Bangladesh workers is RMB 170 yuan.

The standard of living of 50% of the population in Bangladesh is lower than the international standard of poverty. 80% of the Bangladeshi exports depend on clothing, and 90% of the garment workers are women.