1 killed as garment workers clash with police in Bangladesh over pay rise

DHAKA – One female worker was killed, and several others injured in Bangladesh on Wednesday during clashes between the police and stone-throwing garment workers who are demanding a bigger pay rise, the police said.

Following a week of deadly clashes between garment industry workers and the police over pay, the Bangladesh government on Tuesday said the minimum wage would rise by 56.25 per cent to 12,500 taka (S$154) a month from Dec 1.

This would mark the first increase in five years.

The police said they used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up protests by

hundreds of workers who rejected the new pay rise

and took to the streets in the garment hub of Gazipur, on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka.

“The workers blocked roads and vandalised several vehicles. We had to use tear gas, rubber bullets and sound grenades to disperse the unruly workers who were throwing brick chips at us,” local police officer Ashraf Uddin said.

Low wages have helped Bangladesh build its garment industry, with some 4,000 factories employing four million workers.

They supply brands such as H&M and Gap.

Ready-made garments are a mainstay of the economy, accounting for almost 16 per cent of gross domestic product. REUTERS