Workers want wages like in
surrounding countries
The textile workers want pay equal to what other
Asian textile-exporting countries pay. According to the International
Labour Organization Indian minimum wage is 52 euro, while Sri Lanka has 54, Vietnam 58 and Cambodia 59
euro. Only Myanmar has lower wages than Bangladesh, where on average 39 euro is paid a month according to the ILO.
Earlier this month, the government
has asked to increase the minimum wage from 1 December onwards, from 3,000
taka (29 euro) to 5,300 taka (51 euro).
Serious safety issues in
factories
It has also become apparent that the Bengal factories have some serious
safety issues. The Rana Plaza disaster in April, with more than 1,100
casualties, resulted in American Walmart
asking inspection agency Veritas to check the 200 factories it used.
Research has shown that 32 did not
adhere to the minimum safety requirements for possible fires. There were
also severe electrical issues.
The Bengal textile industry employs some 4 million people, mainly women. It represents 80 % of Bangladesh’s
export, with plenty of large American and European brands using the local
industry for their products.
(Translated by Gary Peeters)
