Bangladeshi workers demand more pay

Garment workers see little return despite soaring demand for their cheap clothing.

bangladesh garment package

Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers demanding higher salaries were met with rubber bullets and tear gas during a recent protest ooutside Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Garment workers are currently paid a minimum of just $24 a month following a 2006 agreement among manufacturers, unions and the government, but business is booming piling increasing amounts to work onto employees.

They are calling for the minumum wage to be increased to $70, but manufacturers say their profits are being squeezed as shoppers seek a bargain amid the global economic downturn.

Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque reports.

Source: Al Jazeera