Garment workers in Bangladesh will soon receive higher salaries. From December onwards, they will receive at least 12,500 taka (106 euros) per month instead of the 8,000 taka (68 euros) per month, Labor Minister Monnujan Sufian told reporters on Tuesday in the capital Dhaka. The government set the new minimum salary in consultation with representatives of trade unions and factory owners. Bangladesh is the second largest clothing producer in the world after China.
During the talks there were sometimes violent protests by thousands of textile workers who demanded pay that was almost twice as high as the current amount. During the protests, workers blocked highways, clashed with police and set factories on fire. On Tuesday the police also used tear gas to disperse almost 3,000 workers.
Sufian called on workers to return to work. And she called on factory owners to reopen their factories. Some had closed them during the protests.
Almost four million people – mostly women – work in around 3,500 factories in the country. From there the textiles are exported primarily to Europe and the USA. For Bangladesh, textile work is considered one of the most important sources of income. (dpa)