Bangladeshi garment industry still in chaos

France 24 did a 12-minute piece on the current state of the Bangladeshi garment industry that talks about the increase of the minimum wage, recent protests, rising food prices, and the persistent tension between business and workers.

I found the interview with a mother of 6 to be the most interesting. “I want nothing for myself,” she said. “I just want to give them all [my children] an education.” That said she was not able to make it on her own wage so her daughter entered the workforce at the age of 13. At first she was denied employment because of her age, but then, as her mom quite proudly describes, her daughter put a head scarf on along with some makeup and told the factory she was 18. She got the job.

(A big thanks to long-time reader Kent A for pointing me to this)