Bangladesh Garment Workers Awarded Higher Pay.

MUMBAI, India -- A government oversight board in Bangladesh nearly doubled minimum wages in the important garment industry on Wednesday, but the new benchmark is still well short of what workers' groups had been demanding. The increase comes when many Western retailers and clothing brands have been buying more from Bangladesh -- which has the world's lowest garment wages -- as costs have risen in China, the largest producer. The raise could slow the shift to Bangladesh, although pay for the nation's workers would remain far lower than in China and other apparel hubs like Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]