Bangladesh's garment factory workers, who have been given a 56.25 per cent wage hike, have rejected it, saying the government should have taken into account the prevailing inflation while deciding on the matter, even as the strike continues, reports said.
The South Asian country with 3,500 garment factories, which account for around 85 percent of its $55 billion in annual exports and supply for many of the world's top fashion names including Levi's, Zara and H&M, hiked the workers' salaries to pacify the striking workforce, they said.
According to the reports, the four million workers, the vast majority of whom are women, are nor in good condition as their monthly pay starts at 8,300 taka ($75).
The minimum wage is fixed by a state-appointed board that includes representatives from the manufacturers, unions and wage experts.
"The new minimum monthly wage for garment factory workers has been fixed at 12,500 taka ($113)," Raisha Afroz, the board secretary, was quoted as saying by the media reports.
The proposed figure was immediately rejected by the workers' unions, which have been demanding a minimum 23,000 taka a month as salaries for the workers.
They say that their members are hard hit by persistent inflation, which in October reached nearly 10 percent, and a cost of living crisis partly triggered by the taka depreciating about 30 percent against the US dollar since early last year, according to the reports.
"This is unacceptable. This is below our expectations," the reports quoted Kalpona Akter, head of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, as saying.
The agitated workers staged an angry protest just yards from the labor ministry after the announcement.
"I reject this new monthly minimum wage," Sajal Mia, 21, a garment worker was mentioned as saying in the media reports.
On Wednesday, former Bangladeshi officials told Sputnik India that there was a widespread belief that Washington was looking to topple Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration by backing anti-government protests.