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Workers in Bangladesh protesting for a higher minimum wage met with violence
On Monday, garment workers in Bangladesh took to the streets to demand a higher minimum wage than the one being offered by the government and were met with water cannons and rubber bullets, according to Reuters.
After a factory collapsed in April and killed 1,127 people, the Bangladeshi government promised to raise the country’s minimum wage and make it easier for workers to unionize. Last week it announced a 77 percent raise in the minimum wage, or the equivalent of $66 more a month, but workers had been calling for $100 more. Even with the 77 percent raise, the country’s garment workers would still be the worst paid in the world. They make just 14 percent of what would be considered a living wage and half of what similar workers make in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Since the tragedy in April, workers have repeatedly protested for higher wages and better working conditions, with a protest in September leaving 50 injured after they were met with tear gas and rubber bullets. While the government came through on its promise to make it easier for workers to unionize, the workers who organize have been met with violence, threats, bribery, and other forms of retaliation.