We stand with workers and unions demanding that their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining are implemented, protected, and respected across the industry, including in export processing zones. These enabling rights must be effectively recognized for sustained and meaningful wage improvement.

The proposed minimum wage increase of 52% still leaves workers a long way from a decent wage. Our latest update estimates the monthly living wage for Dhaka City at BDT 25,497—double the current proposal. Accounting for inflation  and likely increases to rental prices and other costs, the proposed increase will be far less in real terms.

There is a clear role for supply chain partners to work collectively to support workers’ rights to a decent standard of living and to advance wages beyond legal minimum levels. The GLWC calls on industry and policy-makers to use the publicly available credible living wage estimates to take action toward closing living wage gaps for workers in the garment sector. Actions should include committing to pay workers the living wage differential, improving in-kind benefits that workers value, and implementing responsible sourcing practices such as supporting improved forecasting and planning, more transparent collaboration with suppliers, and adopting pricing strategies that ensure suppliers are able to pay decent wages to their workers.

Improved social security benefits and support would also help ensure workers can attain a decent standard of living. Both individual and collective accountability and actions are needed. Governments, consumers, brands/buyers, producers/suppliers, investors, and civil society all have roles to play in ensuring that garment workers are fairly treated and compensated. We encourage everyone, as we are all connected to or affected by the garment industry, to accept responsibility for their role in ensuring a decent standard of living for workers.

Relevant resources from GLWC members 

• Living Wage Update Report: Dhaka and Satellite Cities, Bangladesh, 2023
• Living Wage Benchmark Report: Dhaka and Satellite Cities, Bangladesh, 2016
• Fair Labor Association’s Bangladesh Wage Trends 2016 Report 
• Fair Labor Association’s Bangladesh Wage Trends 2020 Report published by the UN Global Compact
• Social Accountability International’s Responsible Purchasing Practices Guidance for Buyers
• Social Accountability International’s Mutual Buyer Supplier Code of Conduct

Photo credit: Crozet M. / ILO

The post Supporting decent wages for Bangladesh’s garment workers appeared first on Global Living Wage Coalition.

These new living wage reports for Dhaka, Bangladesh and its surrounding Satellite cities; the Ziway region of Ethiopia; and urban Tiruppur, India update living wage estimates to account for changes in inflation, exchange rates, costs of living, and policy changes since the original reporting.

All of these reports estimate the wage a worker in these regions would need to receive each month to afford a basic but decent living for themselves and their family.

Read the reports:

• Update for Dhaka, Bangladesh and surrounding Satellite Cities
• Update for non-metropolitan urban Ziway Region, Ethiopia
• Update for urban Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, India

The post Living Wage Updates for Bangladesh, Ethiopia + India appeared first on Global Living Wage Coalition.

Photo credit: Marcel Crozet / ILO

The GLWC is pleased to share the new benchmark report for Rural Belize and a new living wage update for Bangladesh. The study on rural regions of Belize was originally conducted in May 2018 and includes an update to 2021. This report estimates the wage a worker in rural Belize needs to receive each month to afford a basic but decent living. The new report for Dhaka, Bangladesh and Surrounding Satellite Cities updates the living wage estimates from 2016 to account for changes in inflation, exchange rates, costs of living, and policy changes since the original reporting.

Read the new benchmark report: Rural Belize

Read the newest living wage update: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Read the living wage update for Dhaka, Bangladesh Satellite Cities

The post New Benchmark Report and Living Wage Update appeared first on Global Living Wage Coalition.