Garment workers’ leaders on Friday threatened to announce tougher programmes if the minimum wage board does not review its recommendation to re-fix the minimum wage at 5,300.
At a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club, they demanded that the board raise the minimum wage of the garment workers to Tk 8,114 by November 20.
While the wage board’s recommendation for setting the minimum wage at Tk 5,300 has been unacceptable, illogical and unrealistic, the owners are also staging a drama by demanding a review for fixing it an even lower amount, they claimed at the rally, jointly organised by 45 garment workers’ organisations.
Addressing the rally, president of the National Garment Workers’ Federation (NGWF) Aminul Haque Amin said, “We reject the recommendation as it doesn’t reflect the increase of the living cost since the last minimum wage has been declared.”
“There’re also some other loopholes in the latest structure. The basic wage was not raised much – from Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,200. This shortfall was filled by the inclusion of a food allowance of Tk 300 and a transport allowance of Tk 200.”
Talking to UNB, Bangladesh Garment Workers-Employees’ Federation general secretary Quamrul Ahsan said, “Food and transport allowances are never included in the minimum wage. Besides, workers in many factories receive a better amount as food and transport allowances.”
“Last time, the basic minimum wage was increased by 83 percent. And now, when the living cost has almost doubled over the last few years, the basic has not been raised proportionately,” he said.
Quamrul said, “The workers organisations are trying hard to ensure that no destructive activities can take place while protesting the ‘conspiracies’ in fixing the new minimum wage.”
“But the workers are fed-up by the proceedings and the situation can spin out of control of the leaders,” he cautioned.
He also noted that the 45 organisations have decided to forge a united movement to push the demand for raising the minimum wage to Tk 8,114.
“We’ve already sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in this regard. We’ve already sought an appointment to apprise her of the situation.”
Presided over by NGWF president Aminul Haque Amin, the rally was also addressed by Garment Workers’ Trade Union leaders Montu Ghosh and Ruhul Amin.
Source: UNB Connect