–File photo
The Sammilita Sramik Parishad, an alliance of 10 labour rights organisations, on Saturday announced that the workers of the country’s garment sector would begin an indefinite strike from January 1 if their demands were not met by December 31.
The alliance made the announcement at a discussion at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.
The SSP also said that the factories would remain closed until their demands were met and that they would conduct a mass contact programme in all sectors on Sunday.
AAM Fayez Hossain, chief coordinator of the SSP, announced the programme from the discussion.
The discussion was organised to demand the trial of killings of those killed during the wage hike movement, the treatment of the injured workers, the release of the arrested workers, the reinstatement of the dismissed workers and the review of wages announced in the garment sector by setting the minimum wage as Tk 25,000.
Fayez Hossain said that they held a rally on December 1 and raised the demands there.
‘Even after a month, the government is yet to respond in this regard,’ he said.
He urged all political parties, students, farmers and labour organisations to take the initiative to make the strike successful by turning it into an all-out strike.
Addressing the programme, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said that there were political reasons behind underpaying workers.
‘We are conducting a democratic movement in the country. We have come to a stage of the movement. Therefore, we are talking about boycotting the January 7 election. We urge people not to go to polling centres,’ he added.
Revolutionary Workers Party general secretary Saiful Huq urged the workers and other professionals to join the street movement to realise their demands as well as ousting the Awami League government.
Nagarik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna urged the workers to hold their movement in a manner that would lead the fall of the government.
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said that workers would not get justice for the killing of their fellows if they were not united.
He said that no case was even filed in connection with the recent killing of four garment workers.
Among others, Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar) chairman Mustafa Jamal Haider, former student leader and freedom fighter Fazlur Rahman, Islami Andolan Bangladesh presidium member Ashraf Ali Akand, Gono Odhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur, State Reform Movement coordinator Hasnat Qayyum, Bhashani Onusari Parishad convener Sheikh Rafiqul Islam Bablu and Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity Association chief Taslima Akhtar Lima spoke at the discussion.
Representatives of the Bangladesh Workers’ Federation, Bangladesh Workers’ Rights Parishad, Nationalist Workers’ Party, National Socialist Workers’ Alliance, Islamic Workers’ Movement Bangladesh, Bangladesh Multipurpose Hawker Association, National Workers’ Party (Zafar), Bangladesh National Workers’ Alliance, Garments Workers’ Movement, State Reform Workers’ Movement, Nationalist Workers Party, Nirman Sramik Sangam Parishad, Bangladesh Sramik Kalyan Majlis, Nagarik Sramik Oikya, Revolutionary Workers Solidarity, Government Employees Coordination Council, Bangladesh Revolutionary Garments Sramik Solidarity, Bhasani Sramik Parishad and Combined Garments Workers Alliance were also present.
New Age
