Key Points
In recent weeks, Bangladeshi garment-factory owners have been on the phone with Western clothing brands, making the case that their country is a stable link in their supply chains..
This time around,an industry body for the $38 billion clothing-export sector estimates the exporters have lost six days of production because of unrest that erupted in mid-July, though other factory owners saythe loss is closer to twice that much time..
But industry analysts say that the combination of recurring bouts of instability, higher wages and long-term problemssuch as Bangladeshs infrastructure being significantly worse than rivals like China and Vietnamare gnawing at the countrys competitiveness..
The 2024 Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study, a survey of about 30 major U.S. fashion companies, released in July found that 48% of major U.S. fashion companies intended to increase purchases from Bangladesh over the next two years, down from 58% in 2022..
Sheng Lu, a professor of apparel studies at the University of Delaware, said Bangladeshs higher minimum wage and shifting consumer interest toward trendier items produced elsewhere had cut into the nations market share..
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Unrest over wage hike kills woman garment worker in Bangladesh
08, Nov, 23Third death in seven days came day after Bangladesh authorities announced a 56.25 per cent hike in salary structure for readymade garment factory workers. A female worker was killed on Wednesday as protesting readymade garment workers in Bangladesh clashed with police at an industrial hub near here over the unacceptable wage hike announced by the authorities.