‘Tk 25,000 as minimum salary’

Readymade garment workers demonstrated in Dhaka yesterday, demanding salary hike through a new wage board considering the increased price of daily commodities and rising living costs.

They came up with a seven-point demand in front of BGMEA building in the capital’s Uttara yesterday.

Under the banner of the Garment Sramik Odhikar Andolan, they also submitted a memorandum to the BGMEA officials, to press home their demands.

In the letter, they said, as the prices of daily essentials, house rent, and living costs went up significantly, workers have been going through dire circumstances. But no proper wage board is set yet for garment workers.

They demanded Tk 25,000 as minimum salary instead of Tk 8,000.

Their demands also include a 60 percent allowance till the wage board is formed and a full-fledged rationing system for the RMG workers.

Citing media reports, workers said the government has seen less profits in export, but the RMG industry has seen much profit in the first half of this year. The authorities should increase the minimum wage and help workers take this industry to a profitable margin.