RMG workers demand Tk24,000 as minimum wage

Considering current high inflation, the Garments Sramik Parishad (GSP) has placed six-point demand, including Tk24,000 as lowest monthly wage.

They placed the demands at a rally held in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday.

The other demands are: Formation of a new wage board as soon as possible, comprising workers’ representatives in the wage board, 10 per cent yearly increment, declaration of 40 per cent allowance in case of delay in forming the new wage board, launching the rationing system for garment workers, and 70 per cent basic from gross wages.

After the rally, the council marched towards the Secretariat and placed their demands to the state minister for labour and employment.

At the rally, GSP convener Md Alauddin Mia said as the cost of living has increased due to soaring inflation, the formation of a new wage board has become an imperative. “We demand Tk24,000 as minimum wage for RMG workers with three grades,” he added.

As per minimum wages-2018, RMG workers are receiving Tk8,000 as lowest monthly wage.

President of Readymade Garments Workers Federation and Member Secretary of GSP Lovely Yasmin told The Business Post, “Soaring inflation has already hit us hard. Amid the situation, our house rent also increased since this January.”

“The wages of workers are not on a par with soaring inflation. That is why new wage is now timely demand.”

In reply to a query she said, “We heard that the government already sent a letter to the stakeholders asking them for representatives for the new wage board.

But we demand that the government include workers’ representative in the new wage board.”

As per the Bangladesh Labour Act, the government will form the new wage board after every five years and fix new minimum wages. In 2018, the government formed a new wage board and declared new wages in December 2018.

However, after massive protests of the workers, the government also re-fixed wages in January 2019. As per the act, the government is bound to declare new wages by this year. When the country started facing high inflation last year, workers started staging protests demanding the formation of a new wage board. Protests turned into violence in several areas of the country. During the period, the authority concerned and ruling party lawmakers assured the workers of forming a new wage board as soon as early.

Besides, they made commitment that the rationing system would be launched for the RMG workers.

Lovely Yasmin said, “We heard that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also said that the government will provide ration for the RMG workers, but it has not yet started. Workers are facing severe financial crisis and I urge the prime minister to meet her commitment as soon as possible.”