Inside the lives of rmg employees

In the dark predawn hours, the air in Ashulia, a small industrial town on the outskirts of Dhaka, is thick with anticipation.

The rhythmic hum of sewing machines will soon fill the air, heralding another day for the world’s second-largest garment exporting country.

But before the machines roar to life, a different kind of movement begins – the silent exodus of thousands of garment workers from their homes to the factories that dominate the landscape.

As the first rays of light pierce the smog-filled night, Rubiya Akter, a 30-year-old garment worker, emerges from a tin-roofed shack.

Her calloused feet tapped the dusty path, each rhythmic step a testament to years spent behind the sewing machine.

Rubiya’s day begins long before the sun even dares to peek over the horizon – a brutal schedule imposed by the relentless demands of the fashion industry.

“I leave my children alone all day because of the enormous pressure of work,” she said.

Rubiya’s long hours and meager wages illustrate the plight of millions of people in Bangladesh, where the demands of global fashion brands collide with the realities of the labor force.

Behind Rubiya, in the tiny tin shed she calls home, lie her most precious treasures: her 6-year-old daughter Omi and son Rakib, a secondary school leaving (SSC) candidate.

The single room that houses their dreams is a masterclass in resourcefulness. The single bed in which her children sleep peacefully takes up most of the space. The clothes hanging on the walls are a colorful tapestry of their lives, and each garment tells a story of careful budgeting and maternal pride.

In one corner sits an old refrigerator, a prized possession acquired over months of saving. But more often than not, its dull buzz is all the comfort it offers. The shelves inside were empty, a clear reminder of the family’s financial situation.

Housing conditions are cramped and facilities are underdeveloped.

“We only have two bathrooms for 10 families. We have to stand in line every morning,” Rubiya said.

Education, seen as a path to a better future for future generations, comes with its own set of obstacles. “The children go to school, which takes an hour. All the schools are an hour away from our house.”

Access to health care is also a challenge. The nearest affordable medical facility, Gonoshasthaya Kendra, is an exhausting journey away.

“It takes almost 2 hours on the road, but we go there for treatment because it is cheaper.”

Survival arithmetic

As Rubiya walks, calculations appear in her mind.

Her monthly salary of Tk 12,800 – hard-earned through countless hours of stitching and sewing – seems to be evaporating before her eyes.

Numbers dance in her head: TK 3,500 for rent, TK 500 for electricity, TK 6,000 for food and basic needs.

The remaining Tk 2,800 must be allocated somehow to cover her children’s education costs – Omi’s school fees and Rakib’s crucial preparations for the SSC exam.

“Sometimes I can’t even pay my tuition fees,” she admitted, the stress evident in her voice. “I have to borrow money often. It’s a cycle that never ends.”

At the Ashulia kitchen market, four eggs cost Tk 65, broiler chicken Tk 200 per kilogram (kg), beef Tk 750 per kg, onion Tk 120 per kg and green chili Tk 70 per kg.

“I usually cook small tilapia fish for my children because I can’t afford beef,” Rubiya explained. “There was a time when I tried to buy eggs every day, but with price increases they are now out of reach.”

Talking about the living standard of RMG workers, Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed, executive director of Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies (BILS), said that real wages have not increased significantly due to persistent inflation.

According to cost of living indexes of various government institutions, including Bangladesh Bank, it is impossible to survive on Tk 12,500, the minimum monthly salary of RMG.

“Our government has not adopted any programs for the welfare of workers for a long time. There are no initiatives to improve industrial areas in the form of schools, hospitals, markets, housing or transport. Citizenship benefits and social security for workers should be ensured regionally. Again, at the factory level, workers have no opportunity to express themselves, so their needs are not known.”

Stories of struggle

Rubiya’s story is not unique. Similar tales of hardship can be heard in the narrow streets and crowded workers’ homes of Ashulia, home to more than 407 garment factories.

Shahida Khan, 37, works as a cameraman from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. A single mother supports her daughter studying at university on a monthly salary of Tk 12,500.

Including overtime, he earns a maximum of Tk 16,000.

“My daughter lives in Dhaka,” Shahida said. “Her semester fee is Tk 3,000. In addition, there is a sublease fee. I can’t save any money for her future. Meat is a dream for us.”

Nearby, Polash Mahmud and Jasmin Akter try to combine work and family. Their 4-year-old son lives with relatives in their country house in Jamalpur, a painful decision dictated by necessity.

Polash recalled: “I used to be the only earner, but now my wife also works in the factory to help make ends meet.”

Because of their struggles, they had to sacrifice their role in raising their child.

“We sent our son to the village because we don’t have enough time and money to take care of him,” Polash explained. “We have to send Tk 2,000 home every month. I usually have to buy basic items on credit. There is no money left for treatment and other necessary expenses.”

Polash and his wife rent a small room for Tk 4,000. “The environment here is poor. When it rains, our house floods due to water accumulation, but we stay here to save on transportation costs.”

Hosna Akter is a 24-year-old mother of one who has been working in a garment factory in Mirpur for over five years. As a senior operator, she was paid Tk 13,550.

Hosna’s husband Manna, a cinematographer, earns Tk 13,800 after five years of work.

The couple’s monthly expenses include Tk 6,000 for rent, Tk 400 for electricity, Tk 500 for internet and Tk 8,000 for groceries – which is more than 54 percent of their combined earnings. In addition, there is the money they have to spend on their child.

Hosna and Manna recently quit their jobs out of frustration, thinking it would be better for them to move to their village.

Another worker from Mirpur, Shanta, crossed over to Jordan to take up a laborer’s job because she was unable to cover her expenses with low wages in the garment sector.

System under pressure

Data from the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) show that 3.3 million workers are employed in garment factories, of which 52.28% are women.

While the industry provides vital jobs, it also operates on razor-thin margins. Factory owners, under pressure from global brands to keep costs low, often struggle to improve working conditions or significantly increase wages.

Dr. Rubana Huq, former president of BGMEA, said: “12,500 thousand. It’s not an ideal salary, but with the lack of price information from buyers and the declining value and quantity of clothes, there’s little room to give more. we need to think about non-wage benefits such as transport, housing and food subsidies. These are areas that the government also needs to address for manufacturers.”

She added that education and health care should be provided to workers.

Last year, workers protested against an increase in the monthly minimum wage to PLN 25,000. Tk. After negotiations, the government settled on an amount of Tk 12,500 for entry-level workers in the RMG sector – a 56% increase from the previous Tk 8,000, but still far below the amount workers say is necessary for a decent living.

Of this amount, an amount of Tk 6,700 was established as basic salary, Tk 3,350 as apartment rent, Tk 750 as medical allowance, Tk 450 as means of transport and Tk 1,250 as food allowance.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh’s garment exports reached $32.86 billion from July to February in fiscal year 2023-24, up 4.77% year-on-year.

The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) recorded that apparel exports in the first two months of this year amounted to $9.47 billion, up 13.15 percent year-on-year.

Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of the Center for Political Dialogue (CPD), expressed his opinion: “The structure of the minimum wage is flawed. Funds for basic housing and medical expenses are much less than required. In addition, other expenses are important – children’s education, communication expenses, entertainment and Internet bills are not included in the salary structure.

He added that workers do not compete on a level playing field when it comes to negotiating for better pay and working conditions.

“Negotiations on wages should be tripartite and involve the government, workers and owners. But in reality, the decision is made bilaterally – only by the government and the owners,” Moazzem said.

“Employees fear that they may lose their job during negotiations. Meanwhile, owners argue that higher wages would increase costs and reduce competitiveness, although there is little evidence to support this.

“According to the Bangladesh Labor Act, there are 12 wage negotiation indicators, but only two or three are used. Ultimately, salary negotiations in our country are not data-driven and owners tend to avoid them.”

The human cost of fast fashion

As the sun sets on another exhausting day, Rubiya returns home. Her fingers hurt, her back hurts, but her determination remains unwavering. Tomorrow he’ll do it all again.

The stories of Rubiya, Shahida, Polash, Jasmin, Hosna, Manna, Shanta and countless others are a perfect reminder of the human price tags we see in stores.

Some expressed plans to leave the industry if the situation for workers did not improve, agreeing that it would be better to settle in their rural homes.

As night falls, the factories finally fall silent. But in countless small homes, the fight continues – a testament to the resilience of those who sew our clothes and, in turn, weave the fabric of our dreams.