Bangladesh Workers’ Strike Bolts 100 Factories
Four million Bangladesh garment industry workers received a 56.25 percent pay increase on Tuesday from a commission constituted by the government. The workers are demanding a nearly threefold increase in their monthly pay. At least 100 factories outside of Dhaka were forced to close on Thursday due to protests against a salary increase granted by the government, resulting in clashes between police and up to 25,000 garment workers, according to officials. Approximately 85% of Bangladesh's $55 billion in yearly exports comes from its 3,500 garment manufacturers, which supply numerous global brands such as Levi's, Zara, and H&M. However, many of the four million workers in this sector, the great majority of them are women whose starting monthly salary is 8,300 taka ($75), face appalling conditions. The Bangladesh Garment and Industrial ...
