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. – UNB
