The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, refused to accept the request. any further increase in the minimum wage of textile workers who continue to demand that it be almost tripled, after more than ten days of demonstrations and clashes with the police. “I would tell the textile workers that they have to work and with this salary increase, they should continue their work,” Ms. Hasina said at a meeting of her party, the Awami League , late Thursday evening. On Tuesday, the minimum wage committee for the textile sector increased the basic monthly salary of the sector's four million workers by 56.25%, bringing it to 12,500 takas (104 euros), an amount deemed “ridiculous” and immediately rejected. by the unions. Textile workers are demonstrating for a near tripling of the minimum wage, currently from 8,300 takas (70 euros) to 23,000 takas (190 euros). According to the unions, workers are suffering hard from inflation, which reached almost 10% in October, and the depreciation of around 30% of the taka against the US dollar since the beginning of last year. “If they take to the streets to protest at someone's instigation, they will lose their job, their job and will have to return to their village,” added Ms. Hasina. – “A climate of fear” – A union leader, who requested anonymity on Friday, estimated that Ms. Hasina's speech established a “climate of fear” in the sector, and seemed to give security forces permission to further suppress protests. 
Police arrested more than 100 demonstrators, including several union leaders, accused of violence and vandalism in factories, two police officers told AFP.
The United States this week condemned “the criminalization of the legitimate activities of workers and unions”.
Washington on Wednesday urged Bangladeshi authorities to “review the decision on the minimum wage” to respond “to the growing economic pressures faced by workers”.
At least three workers died and six police officers were injured and more than 70 factories were ransacked, according to police, in just over ten days of violent protests.
But Ms. Hasina also argued that the increase proposed to the textile sector was much higher than that of barely 5% from which civil servants benefited.
Textile workers demonstrate against the increase deemed “ridiculous” in their minimum wage, on November 9, 2023 in Gazipur, Bangladesh © AFP – –
The latter, however, enjoy much more comfortable wages.
Rashedul Alam Raju, a garment union leader, urged Ms. Hasina to listen to the workers' demands.
“The Prime Minister may increase salaries after reviewing the situation,” said Mr. Raju.
– responsibility of big “brands” –
Unions say the pay rise offered this week is insufficient compared to soaring food prices, rents and health and schooling costs for garment workers' children.
The powerful politician also deplored that 19 factories had been “attacked and destroyed “, emphasizing that these were businesses that “gave them sustenance, food and work.”
Bangladesh's approximately 3,500 textile factories, mostly employing women, produce 85% of the country's 51 billion euros in annual exports and supply many major global brands, such as Levi's, Zara (Inditex group) and H&M.
“If these factories are closed, if production is disrupted, exports are disrupted, where will their jobs go? They must understand that,” Ms. Hasina also argued.
Netherlands-based garment workers' rights organization the Clean Clothes Campaign denounced the new base wage as “poverty wages.”
“If the brands supported the amount of 23,000 takas demanded by the unions and committed to absorbing the cost of the wage increase, workers would not need to take to the streets to demonstrate,” the organization's spokesperson, Bogu Gojdz, told AFP on Friday.
“We consider brands committed to a living wage – such as ASOS, Uniqlo, H&M, C&A, M&S, Aldi and Next – particularly responsible for this situation”, added Mr. Gojdz.
Textiles are a key industry in Bangladesh, the world's second largest clothing exporter behind China.
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