ETI Bangladesh organised two consultation workshops on 18 May 2025, in Dhaka to assess the implementation of Bangladesh’s 2023 minimum wage structure for Ready-Made Garment (RMG) workers.
The discussions drew upon research conducted by the STITCH Consortium—comprising Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF), Mondiaal FNV, and ETI Bangladesh—in collaboration with BRAC University.
The workshops convened 78 representatives from 47 RMG factories. Participants discussed challenges in wage implementation and proposed recommendations.
Munir Uddin Shamim, Director-Programme Evidence & Learning at ETI Bangladesh, presented findings from the joint study. He emphasised that transparent wage structure is critical for Bangladesh to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global ethical standards as the country transitions to middle-income status.
Factory representatives identified pressing challenges, including lack of government support in enforcing compliance, rising inflation undermining purchasing power, and limited worker awareness of wage grading systems. The absence of structured social dialogue platforms between workers, factories, and policymakers was also cited as a challenge.
Participants recommended for a multi-stakeholder approach to address these issues. Recommendations included establishing regular tripartite dialogues involving the government, exporters, and international brands to harmonise wage policies. They urged the development of an RMG-specific regulatory framework to balance fair wages with factory viability. A factory grading system to incentivise compliance and attract ethically focused buyers was also proposed.
George Williams, Just Transitions Advisor at ETI UK, underscored the global relevance of Bangladesh’s wage challenges during the afternoon session. “Fair wage practices demand alignment between brands, suppliers, and governments,” he noted, drawing parallels with labour trends in other sourcing countries.
