RMG workers agitate for Tk 3,000 minimum wage
Staff Correspondent
Different organisations representing garment workers continued their agitation yesterday rejecting the proposed pay structure and urging the workers to be prepared for a tougher movement against severe exploitation by garment factory owners. Calling for immediately implementing the tripartite agreement signed on June 12 among the government, workers and the owners, leaders of the workers' organisations said the wages should be fixed at a level where the workers can survive in the face of price hikes of essentials and rising living cost. Speaking at a conference of Textile Garments Worker's Federation in Dhaka as chief guest, Haider Akbar Khan Rano, a politburo member of Bangladesh Workers Party, expressed solidarity with the workers and urged them to strengthen their unity. He also urged the owners to clear all outstanding wages and Eid bonuses before October 16. Otherwise a 24-hour strike will be observed in all garment factories on the day, he said. Leaders of Bangladesh Garment Sramik Trade Union Kendra urged the government to revise the proposed minimum wage and fix it at Tk 3,000 a month. Heavily criticising the four-party alliance government for not protecting the interest of the RMG sector, they said repeated load shedding, port congestion, high transportation cost, high bank charges and corruption by customs officials have increased the cost of business sharply and weakened the competitiveness of the industry but the government did not take any measure to address the problems. The workers are paying for the high business cost as the owners compensate for all extra expenses by exploiting their employees, they said while addressing a rally at Purana Paltan crossing in Dhaka yesterday. National Protection Alliance for Garments Workers & Industries, a federation of 16 workers organisations, said the workers will not accept the proposed pay structure, warning that it would create further labour unrest in the country. Protesting the delay by the owners in implementing the tripartite agreement, they blamed the government for its inactive role in this regard. The alliance will hold rallies in Dhaka, Chittagong, Narayanganj, Narsinghdi, Gazipur, and Savar industrial areas from September 16 to October 15 and it will also organise a roundtable discussion where garment factory owners, workers, political leaders, economists, lawyers and civil society members will participate. Finally, the alliance will observe a 24-hour strike in all garment units to protest poor wages of the workers and the delay in implementing the tripartite deal. General Secretary of Bangladesh Workers Party Saiful Haque said the right wage of the workers will not lead to a shut down of garment factories rather it will increase production. At a rally at Bijoy Nagar in the capital organised by Revolutionary Garments Workers Solidarity he demanded announcement of Tk 3,000 as the minimum wage and implementation of the tripartite agreement immediately. Leaders of National Garment Workers Federation at a token hunger strike at Muktangan in the city threatened to go for tougher movement if the minimum wage is not reset within a week. President of Bangladesh Garments Workers Alliance Shirin Akhter said if the government and the owners think of their self-interest only then the garment industry will be threatened. Dismissing the proposed minimum wage of Tk 1604, she demanded that the government takes necessary actions to raise it to Tk 3,000 for the sake of the garment workers and the industry as well. Bangladesh Garments Mojdur Union also rejected the wage board proposed pay structure and at a protest meeting in its office the leaders said the proposed pay structure is contradictory to the agreement signed among the government, workers and the owners' association on June 12. Sramik Karmochari Oikya Parishad also organised a meeting presided over by its President Mesbah Uddin Ahmad and demanded that the minimum wage be reset at Tk 3,000.
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