Labour Day observed with call to hike workers’ wage

Labour rights leaders have demanded Tk 24,000 as minimum monthly wage for the ready-made garment (RMG) workers, considering the soaring prices of essential commodities and the rising cost of living in the country.

As the prices of daily essentials, house rent, and living cost went up significantly, workers are going through a tough time. But proper wage board has not yet been formed for the workers, they said.

The leaders of different labour rights organisations came up with the demands at various programmes, including human chains and rallies, held on Monday across the country, marking International Workers’ Day, also known as International Labour Day.

Trade unions and different labour rights organisations arranged rallies and discussions and brought out processions in the capital and elsewhere across the country marking the day.

Mentioning that the workers are facing hardships, the labour leaders said workers are now going through a difficult time amid price hikes of essential commodities.

They also urged the government not to cut jobs of any worker and demanded housing facilities, health insurance and pension as prescribed by the law for the workers.

Besides, the labour leaders demanded a 10 per cent annual increment for garment workers, women and children safety, setting up modern daycare centres at all factories, construction of housing, six-month maternity welfare leave for women workers, inclusion of EPZ in labour law and ensuring free trade union rights and disposal of cases filed with the Labour Court within 150 days.

They also demanded taking immediate steps to ensure workplace safety, and pay compensation to Tazreen and Rana Plaza victims, provide rehabilitation and declare April 24 as National Mourning Day for the collapse of Rana Plaza.

Bangladesh Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said Bangladesh will be smart only by making the workers as smart in the country.

Although talks over owner-worker unity sound sweet, it is not effective because the employers are depriving the workers of their fair rights, he said.

Menon came up with the remarks while addressing as the chief guest a discussion meeting arranged by the National Garments Workers Federation at Bagabari area of Ashulia in Savar with organisation’s president Amirul Haque Amin in the chair.

He said the minimum wage of a RMG worker is only Tk 8,000 and it was fixed even after the intervention of the Prime Minister, forcing the owners to accept it.

The family cards and OMS rice for garment workers will not effective. There is a need to introduce the rationing system for the RMG workers and there is no alternative to it, he added.

Two other labour rights organisations--Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation and Progressive Garments Workers Federation--jointly formed a human chain and held a rally in front of Rana Plaza in Savar, marking May Day.

Addressing the rally, Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation President Rafiqul Islam Sujan said, “We have long been demanding Tk24,000 as minimum wage for RMG workers as the workers are struggling to survive due to price hikes of essentials.”

RMG workers across the country and labour rights groups have staged demonstrations for more than a year demanding pay hikes for workers considering the growing living cost in the country.

Earlier, the government on April 10 formed a new board to review the wages of readymade garment (RMG) workers by appointing owners’ and workers’ representatives to the board.

The labour ministry published a gazette notification signed by its Deputy Secretary Farzana Sultana in this regard. The new board will recommend the minimum monthly salary for RMG workers.

According to the gazette, former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Md Siddiqur Rahman will be on the board to represent factory owners while Bangladesh National Garments Employees League President Sirajul Islam Rony will represent workers.

The government took the initiative to review the minimum monthly wage of RMG workers and employees after five years. The previous wage board was formed in 2018 when the minimum wage board set Tk 8,000 as the minimum monthly wage in the RMG sector with Tk 4,100 as basic pay, Tk 2,050 as house rent, Tk 600 as medical allowance, Tk 350 as transport allowance, and Tk 900 as food allowance.