Sustainable Fashion: A Handbook for Educators

89

studEnt tasK 2: class actIVIty

The workers at the factory where the t-shirt is assembled
work a standard 8 hour day, 26 days per month on average
(excluding overtime).

The wage scales for workers in the industry are as follows:

Grade Position Monthly

Wage in Taka

Monthly Wage in

£ Sterling

1 Pattern Master 5140 £41.98

2 Mechanic 3840 £31.36

3 Sample Machinist 2449 £20.00

4 Cutter 2250 £18.37

5 Junior Cutter 2046 £16.70

6 Sewing Machinist 1851 £15.12

7 Assistant Operator 1662.5 £13.58

Source: People’s Republic of Bangladesh Government Ministry of Labour
and Employment Minimum Wage Ordinance October 22 2006

The machinists are organised in actual production lines
of 12 and have a daily production target of 900. Of
course many more workers are engaged in the whole
manufacturing process. In this particular case, some 51
workers are involved in the full process from stores
through cutting to assembly and inspection.

The specific occupations and numbers of workers
necessary are set out in the table below:

Tasks No of Workers Daily Rate in

Taka

Total Amount

Stores 4 107 428

Cutting 5 86.5 432.5

Machinists 12 86.5 1038

Inspectors 2 86.5 173

Helpers 6 64 384

Washers/

Thread

Cutters

10 64 640

Ironing &

Packing

12 86.5 1038

TOTALS

The workers are paid an hourly rate and do not receive a

production bonus or piece rate.

The total wage cost for making the t-shirt is calculated

by dividing the relevant monthly wage for the specific

category of worker by 26 to determine a daily labour cost

(column 2).

This is then multiplied by the number of workers

performing the task and the total gives the daily labour cost

to achieve the production target (column 3).

1. Total up columns 1 and 3.


2. Calculate the labour cost involved in assembling each
   t-shirt (unit labour cost).

You can set the information out in this table:

Number of workers in line

Target number of shirts per day

Daily wage per worker

Unit labour cost

You will need to divide column 3 by 900 to arrive at a unit

labour cost.

3. Calculate this figure as a percentage of the average
   retail price for a plain cotton t-shirt.


4. Some estimates of a living wage in Bangladesh target a
   figure of 4,500 Taka although given a hike in food prices
   this is no longer a realistic figure^3.

By how much would the retail price of this cotton shirt

have to increase in order for the retailer of the t-shirt to

be paying a living wage as defined in 2007?

(^3) Let’s Clean up Fashion, Labour behind the Label, September 2007
BusInEss