Since the mid-October 2023, women textile workers in Bangladesh have been demanding better wage conditions.
The committee overseeing the category proposed a 56% increase in the basic monthly wage for four million workers in the sector, almost all of them women, the equivalent of US$94 per month. Labor rights groups and unions want more than double that level; therefore, they refused the offer, and protests further increased, especially in the capital, Dhaka.
In the meantime, many demonstrations started, involving 150 factories and 11,000 protesting workers, the occupation of factories, and at least three deaths.
In addition, 15,000 women workers demonstrated, and later the women sacked Tusuka, one of the largest textile companies in Dhaka, and a dozen other factories.
For now, an indefinite strike is in place, adding uncertainty to the elections scheduled for next January in this former British colony that is the eighth most populous country in the world with its 170 million inhabitants, the third-largest Islamic nation, and the second-strongest economy in South Asia.
Bangladesh has 3,500 domestic textile companies that account for 85% of Bangladesh’s US$50 billion annual exports and supply crucial labor to several major global brands, notably Levi’s, Zara and H&M.
According to many humanitarian and women’s rights associations, the working conditions for millions of female workers in this sector are unacceptable, and the wages of female workers are so low that they also depend on Western brands.
Despite the situation, many entrepreneurs believe that it can be resolved and that the country can continue to offer the garment industry a production hub to rely on.
Mostafiz Uddin, managing director of the garment manufacturing company Denim Expert Limited and founder and CEO of the show Bangladesh Denim Expo and of the association BAE (Bangladesh Apparel Exchange), recently commented: “I can provide clear reasons why, firstly, the situation in Bangladesh is not as serious as it is being portrayed in some media outlets and why Bangladesh remains open for business.”
“First things first, Bangladesh is not like most Western countries. Modern Bangladesh was born in 1971, following the Liberation War with Pakistan. Even since then, our political environment has not always been stable, and there have been regular periods of volatility, particularly around election time. Sometimes, these involve protests and demonstrations, and occasionally, there are pockets of violence,” he explained, underlining that as of now, the overwhelming majority of factories remain open, the ports remain open and are running as normal, and demonstrations are limited to just a few pockets of activity.
As a second factor, he underlined that after the temporary closing of many factories imposed by COVID and global orders falling off, Bangladesh survived and came through. “Ours is a highly resilient industry. If we can survive the pandemic, the current unrest is a walk in the park,” he added.
Moreover, the entrepreneur thinks it’s important to discuss the information being published about Bangladesh and the current situation. “While we have a very strong media in Bangladesh and diligent journalists, we also have broad issues centering on misinformation. I hear rumors that some bad actors are sharing information online that is distorting the current picture in Bangladesh, exaggerating or sensationalising the current challenges,” he explained.
In the meantime, the local industry is prepared for unrest around election time and when the national minimum wage is under review.
Uddin understands the importance of how the industry has to be supportive toward a system striving to be better, as the current civil unrest they have witnessed is not welcome.
According to him, in recent weeks, factory owners and industry leaders have come together and worked collaboratively to ensure business as usual.
As the garment export industry is by far the country’s most important industry, the Government is involved in doing as much as is in its power to enable its continuous operation and find solutions.
Along with it, the whole system and global economy organizations—including brands’ requests for margins and consumers’ thirst for low prices—need to revise their standards and operate more responsibly to guarantee everyone’s better living conditions.
Source: https://www.the-spin-off.com/