Bangladesh sets minimum wage for garment workers

Bangladesh has raised minimum monthly wages for its millions of garment workers by about 80% after months of violent protests over poor pay and conditions, a government minister said. The official minimum wage has been set at 3,000 takas (£28) a month, up from 1662 takas in the first raise since 2006, labor minister Khandaker Mosharaff Hossain said. "We have tried our best to meet the demands of the workers," Hossain told reporters in announcing the new wages after months of negotiations with garment factory owners. The new pay structure starts in November and has seven grades–the highest pay fixed at 9,300 takas. Factory owners or trade union leaders were not immediately available for comment. Workers and labor rights groups have pressed for a monthly wage of 5,000 takas. The raise came about a week after the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, criticized the garment industry for paying low wages to workers.